Chusca
‘Chusca’ or ‘Chuca’ is a type of extremely fine sand that covers the surface of the Atacama Desert. This pulverised mass is created by the weatherization of rocks and transported by the wind as flying particles that create the crust that covers the extensions of salt flats and nitrate deposits. This crust brings the ochre colour that characterises the landscapes of the desert, under which the millennia of geological history unravels.
The series of artworks explore the hidden value of this omnipresent dust by casting a mix of ‘chusca’ and other mineral binders, turning this earthy material into sculptural surfaces. The ‘chusca’ was collected during a field trip in the Atacama desert in 2019, in the Region of Tarapacá, near an archaeological site. Playing with geometry, repetition and light, the pieces create shifting shadows and patterns projected on the white surface throughout the day. The artworks create geometrical alignments that speak to the geometries of ancestral cultures in the Atacama.
Chusca, Alignment 2
Chusca, fiberglass mesh, gypsum binder
15x15
Chusca, Grid 3
Unique piece - Chusca, fiberglass mesh, gypsum binder
25.5 x 25.5 cm.
