Ferment

Rising 56 feet into the air with a branching system that spans 35 feet, Roxy Paine's silvery sculpture, Ferment, acknowledges the power of human imagination and technological innovation. At the same time, its organic, tree-like form speaks profoundly to the dendritic (branching) structures of nature–from our bodies (torso, arms, hands, fingers) to vascular and neurological systems to river deltas and erosion patterns to botanical branching. Ferment, one of more than 20 dendroid sculptures by Paine, investigates this complex interrelationship between nature and technology.

"Ferment" is defined as a state of agitation or turbulent change. With its twisting, gnarled branches, Paine's sculpture embodies the surging energy of creation, growth, transformation, decay and regeneration.