
Sandra Ramos Cuban, b. 1969
23.5 x 34.9 x 30.5 cm
The Urban Jungle is a series of mixed-media drawings and sculptural projects for public space. They are based on the anthropomorphic representation of the wildlife that previously occupied the areas in our urbanized city developments. Many of these animals, insects, and plants remain our significant neighbors. Even when we often don't notice them, they are essential to the fragile chain of life that keeps our ecological environment safe.
I use visual elements that have been important in my previous works. Some came from personal narratives, storytelling, or spiritual and religious traditions in human history that linked some animals symbolically to certain behaviors or paths, such as the dragonfly, the rabbit, birds, fishes, and flies. Still, I use man create elements related to time and culture as the hourglass and books.
To create the sculptures, I choose solid permanent materials such as aluminum and glass and techniques that allow transparencies and shadows to embody human attitudes concerning nature and ecology. Furthermore, working with engraving on metal, glass, and iridescent paintings will enable me to give great importance to the drawing that casts the sculpture's shadows. Those shadows become a fundamental part of the pieces due to their dynamics and ability to transform according to the time of day, the season, and the interaction of the public.