Paula Hayes’ Mini Garden Terrarium Sculptures Now on Display at MoMA, NYC

Brooklyn based artist and landscape designer <a href="http://paulahayes.com" target="_blank">Paula Hayes</a> began fusing her masters degree in sculpture with her love of gardening in a small East Village 5th floor walk up in the early 1990s. It was there she developed her signature <a href="http://inhabitat.com/green-light-botanical-lamp-and-air-filter/" target="_blank">terrarium sculptural pieces</a>, which are now on display in the exhibition, “Nocturne of the Limax Maximus,” at the <a href="http://www.moma.org" target="_blank">Museum of Modern Art</a> in New York.

Hayes’ Nocturne” features two pieces- <em>Slug </em>and <em>Egg. </em>Each terrarium sculpture is cast from milky iridescent acrylic and hand blown glass. <em>Slug </em>stretches and seems to slither in a globby, horizontal trail, fifteen feet along the wall in MoMA’s atrium outside of the gift shop.

<em>Egg </em> is suspended vertically and a free standing glass egg is supported by stalactites and stalagmites of acrylic resin that seem to reach to meet and hold the <a href="http://inhabitat.com/cheeky-repurposed-planters-grow-awareness-on-plant-farming/" target="_blank">terrarium</a> in place.

Inside each translucent and organic-shaped vessel is home to a miniature forest of lush plant life that has been “landscaped” to create an idyllic oasis within its tiny glass confines.

The exhibition was commissioned especially for the winter months, sprouting life and tranquil greenery for the lobby.

Hayes’ living art is no stranger to the art world. She created an outdoor garden installation for the prominent <a href="http://www.marianneboeskygallery.com/" target="_blank">Marianne Boesky Gallery</a> in the summer of 2009, an indoor forest in the <a href="http://tang.skidmore.edu/" target="_blank">Tang Museum</a>, and has an upcoming show at the <a href="http://www.wexarts.org/" target="_blank">Wexner Center</a>.

Her personal work also includes “living <a href="http://inhabitat.com/an-incredible-breathing-“necklace”-filters-co2-and-stores-it-as-energy/" target="_blank">necklaces</a>” (personal terrariums work around the neck), cast planters, bird baths and bird houses. She also creates private artful gardens around New York City, in addition to commissioned landscapes for the <a href="http://www.starwoodhotels.com/whotels/index.html?PS=GWS_aa_Starwood_W_Hotels_Brand_Google_EXACT_w_hotel_02092009" target="_blank">W</a> <a href="http://inhabitat.com/old-suitcases-used-to-decorate-shanghai-urbn-hotel/" target="_blank">Hotel</a> in Miami.