Bamboo in Contemporary Sculpture and Installation Art

Bamboo has been a subject of paintings and artisanal crafts in East Asia for centuries. Shinto shrines and Buddhist temples are often decorated with carved bamboo shoots and Zen paintings featuring the bamboo plant. However, in the world of high art (especially Western art), the bamboo plant has been relatively underrepresented. Granted that, as a subject of paintings, the value of any plant (or any object, for that matter) is completely subjective, bamboo as a material for sculpture and installation art is incredibly versatile.

One of the reasons why bamboo and other organic materials have not been used as much for sculpture in the world of high art is that sculpture and monumental artwork was always perceived as having to be permanent. Sculptures had to be made of bronze, marble, steel, etc. In other words, stuff that was going to last for ages to come. But contemporary artists have for the most part come to accept the fact of art's ephemeral nature. Even the Egyptian pyramids will someday be nothing but dust. So if nothing truly "lasts", what's the point of trying to defy nature? Thus, sculpture and installation art does not have to be permanent anymore. It is more the experience of the creation and production of the art itself that matters. Whether or not it lasts very long, is no longer the main concern.

One of the artists who has been highly integral in exploring the temporary nature of art and the beauty that can be found therein is Andy Goldsworthy, who has produced some of the most stunning outdoor bamboo installations in the world. He uses bamboo shoots and poles that he finds already fallen and weaves them to create delicately precise structures that are distinctly man-made but that still feel fully natural. He doesn't use nails or artificial adhesives in his sculptures. Finding a natural way of making his creations hold together seems to be one of the main challenges and joys of Goldsworthy's art.

Another well known artist who is renowned for his bamboo installations is the New York born Gerard Minakawa. Unlike Goldsworthy's meticulous and naturalistic constructions, Minakawa's bamboo structures are epic, sometimes several stories in height, and make unapologetic use of electric lighting and industrial contraptions. Minakawa's venues reflect this sort of rock star art aesthetic. His bamboo installations have been prominent elements of Burning Man and the Coachella Music festival, among others.