Earth Art and Architecture

By Kiko Denzer
Published on October 1, 2007
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Earthen accents can make a dramatic statement, like this stately tree designed by Deanne Bednar.
Earthen accents can make a dramatic statement, like this stately tree designed by Deanne Bednar.
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Earthen accents can also offer a subtler effect, such as these candle niches, also designed by Deanne Bednar.
Earthen accents can also offer a subtler effect, such as these candle niches, also designed by Deanne Bednar.
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It’s usually easy to get friends to help you install mud.
It’s usually easy to get friends to help you install mud.
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Earthen accents can make a dramatic statement, like this stately tree designed by Deanne Bednar.
Earthen accents can make a dramatic statement, like this stately tree designed by Deanne Bednar.
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To make this cat, Denzer hammered pegs into an existing cob wall, wove a coarse web of baling twine between them and added “strawey” handfuls of mud around the form. Then he applied finish plaster for finer detail.
To make this cat, Denzer hammered pegs into an existing cob wall, wove a coarse web of baling twine between them and added “strawey” handfuls of mud around the form. Then he applied finish plaster for finer detail.
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Earthen plaster gives you unlimited design possibilities. This is a low relief piece by the author done on sheetrock for a gallery show.
Earthen plaster gives you unlimited design possibilities. This is a low relief piece by the author done on sheetrock for a gallery show.
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Earthen plaster gives you unlimited design possibilities. This is a low relief piece by the author done on sheetrock for a gallery show.
Earthen plaster gives you unlimited design possibilities. This is a low relief piece by the author done on sheetrock for a gallery show.
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Earthen plaster gives you unlimited design possibilities. This is a low relief piece by the author done on sheetrock for a gallery show.
Earthen plaster gives you unlimited design possibilities. This is a low relief piece by the author done on sheetrock for a gallery show.
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Earthen plaster gives you unlimited design possibilities. This is a low relief piece by the author done on sheetrock for a gallery show.
Earthen plaster gives you unlimited design possibilities. This is a low relief piece by the author done on sheetrock for a gallery show.
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Earthen plaster gives you unlimited design possibilities. This is a low relief piece by the author done on sheetrock for a gallery show.
Earthen plaster gives you unlimited design possibilities. This is a low relief piece by the author done on sheetrock for a gallery show.
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Earthen plaster gives you unlimited design possibilities. This is a low relief piece by the author done on sheetrock for a gallery show.
Earthen plaster gives you unlimited design possibilities. This is a low relief piece by the author done on sheetrock for a gallery show.
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Earthen plaster gives you unlimited design possibilities. This is a low relief piece by the author done on sheetrock for a gallery show.
Earthen plaster gives you unlimited design possibilities. This is a low relief piece by the author done on sheetrock for a gallery show.
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The show entrance was made of mud over cardboard that was temporarily attached to movable gallery panels. The show was completed in about four days by a crew of five.  
The show entrance was made of mud over cardboard that was temporarily attached to movable gallery panels. The show was completed in about four days by a crew of five.  

You’re never too old to play in the mud — earth art allows you to have fun, get dirty and make creative earthen accents that will add life to your home. Whether you have sheetrock, masonry or even wood walls, earth art adds texture, color and warmth to any interior.

Earth Art and Architecture

Mud is a perfect material for art and architecture; it’s durable, beautiful and easy to work with. Earth is used by many cultures for building — in fact, it’s the most common construction material on the planet. For comfort, beauty, ease of use, ecology and economy, it beats most other materials hands down. While earthen accents are easy to incorporate into new cob or straw bale walls, you don’t need to build a brand new house to enjoy them. Whether you have sheetrock, masonry or even wood walls, mud can add texture, color and warmth to any interior. All the examples shown here were made with basic clay plaster mixtures, and reflect the artistry and lives of their makers. And don’t worry if you’re not an artist; if you can make mud pies, you can make art out of earth!

Living Walls

Earthen plasters add life to a building. There’s a reason a so-called “perfect finish” is often referred to as “dead” straight, or “dead” flat — dead surfaces don’t move. When every inch of a wall is the same, there’s no variation of light, shadow, texture or color. But as you walk past a hand-plastered wall, you notice shifting light and shadow — it lives! Rather than just connecting corners, sculptured walls literally shape space. Living, handmade plaster walls embrace you.

Earth is easy to sculpt, and sculpture need not be complicated. Mud makes it easy for anyone to make beautiful textures, patterns and lines. Just rounding a corner or building up edges at doors or windows helps define a room. Extending the play of light from a flat wall into the third dimension removes the division between sculpture and architecture.

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