Relinquished

Relinquished is a large-scale dramatic piece inspired by the concept and experience of letting go. It depicts two intertwined dandelions whose seeds are releasing and drifting into the wind.  While creating this piece it occurred to me that what is depicted is the very act of a seed of new life clinging to a familiar, yet dying plant. All that the seed may grow into hinges upon the very moment that it releases it’s grasp on all that it has known, drifting into the vast expanse of the unknown. To remain tethered to the dying plant, which here represents all that lies behind us, is to wither and perish with it. For the seed, and for ourselves, all that could be lies on the other side of the act of letting go of what was. The piece is constructed of recycled, upcycled, and repurposed steel objects, specifically hundreds of 10″ and 8″ landscaping nails, salvaged steel and iron pipe, and other salvaged components. The piece is finished with multiple coats of Permalac 2K by Peacock Labs.

Matthew Leavell is a self taught Wilmington, North Carolina-based artist currently focusing on the creation of small and medium scale sculpture in steel, cast iron, wood and glass. Preferring raw materials that bring their own history, character, and soul to a new work of art, Matthew’s pieces are often created using recycled, salvaged, and upcycled metal components from various sources. He sees a neglected, rusting pile of steel as a literal representation of someone’s broken or abandoned dreams. Purchasing these materials—and through hard work, inspiration, creativity, and persistence, creating an entirely new and beautiful work of art—is not only a personally fulfilling process, but one that stands as an analogy of life in general.

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