Lithophyte

Excerpt from Portals and Possibilities by Eileen Jeng Lynch for Bronx Calling: The Sixth AIM Biennial Catalogue

Cherry’s large-scale alien, sci-fi-esque sculpture comprises a red foot-like form with protruding vertical tentacles and synthetic tulips growing out of them. Within the seemingly bulbous organic forms are round inserts for the tulips. The title of the work Lithophyte (2022) is a nod to plants that would naturally grow on the surface of rocks and their resiliency. With this work, Cherry also comments on humans’ desire to control nature, including where it grows. Lithophyte’s amorphous form at a similar scale to a body further serves as a metaphor to embody one’s psyche and emotions—drawing connections with anxiety, mental illness, pain, and other challenges we may face.