HOPE CHRISTOFFERSON

A biophilic scrap metal sculpture representing a sauropod in stylized skeletal form. It will reflect the awe of a massive creature while giving color and beauty to the viewer through the colors of living plants which grow from the large planters in its feet. The piece represents the synthesis of an inorganic framework upon which an organic form expands into. Living, dying and giving rise to a new season of growth.

Inspired by the Brontosaurus, a real species that walked the earth roughly 150 million years ago, the Solarsaurus embodies one of the most monumental designs in nature. Its unbelievable anatomy reminds today’s viewer of Mother Nature’s engineering prowess, and reminds today’s creative minds that anything we imagine can become possible, given enough space and time. Human creativity is only one expression of natural intelligence. Nature’s creations long predate anything made by human hands, and many breakthroughs in modern science simply uncover secrets that were present long before us. Remembering is just as important as inventing. The philosophy of the Solarsaurus is rooted in the idea that we must imagine yesterday in order to remember tomorrow. Though this Jurassic species lived nearly 150 million years before the first human fire was kindled, its primordial presence invites us to look back on our planet’s shared history and gain perspective on a scale of time that dwarfs modern culture. Our creative team is rooted in South Dakota, which gives the piece a personal bent: this sculpture was forged in a land home to some of the world’s richest Cretaceous-era dinosaur fossil beds.