Alysia Macaulay
The Beast, 2025
Archival Digital Print
17x22 inches
Edition: 1 of 3
 
The Beast is a chaotic, frenzied web of energy. While visually overwhelming, The Beast simultaneously evokes a quiet, protective calm, a sense of inclusion, strength and safety. Something we are all craving in these unprecedented and frightening times. Starting with a 30x30 inch board, I sculpted a densely collaged gnarl of hand cut-out limbs and branches from the photographs I had taken of the venerable Angel Oak tree in Charleston, South Carolina. Once lit and photographed, the interplay of each individualized element combined with the woven layering, creates a sense of altered perspective and power.