Reclaimed life: John Carroll’s hexagonal sculptures bridge art, nature, and renewal

Rose Tresch - Contributing Writer

“The construction of the cairns are hexagonal courses, which I consider to be the universal shape in life,” is what artist and alumnus John Carroll said about his art entitled “Visions of Nature – An Eco Art Exhibit,” which has been on display in the Len G. Everett Gallery this past month.

On Friday, October 24th. Carroll came back to campus to talk about his art and share his story beyond college and how he traveled to New Zealand to pursue art there. After that, he began to construct these hexagonal wood sculptures, where every piece of material used was recycled, from end cuts to highlines from a bio-nuclear plant. As Carroll said, “Everything in here has the same feel to me, that it’s all been reclaimed life.”

John Carroll’s cairn designs. Photo by Rose Tresch

According to Britannica.com cairn is “a pile of stones that is used as a boundary marker, a memorial, or a burial site.”

Carrol works in construction but said that he continues to create art and does a few shows each year.