Amanda Clayton / Ellipsis Studio (Phoenix)
Terroir
A Local Light Installation
Location:
LDV Winery Tasting Room
7134 E. Stetson Drive, #B110
Scottsdale, AZ 85251
Terroir is a site-specific art installation celebrating the importance of landscape on the nuances of wine properties. Installed in a planting bed along the patio at LDV Winery Tasting Room, the real focus of Terroir is on the location of LDV’s vineyards at the base of the Chiricahua Mountains in southeastern Arizona. The unique physical aspects of this region inspired the outline of the mountain range rendered in neon, which is suspended on a vine trellis and surrounded by cinders—a nod to the volcanic eruptions that formed this geography centuries ago. An homage to Turkey Creek, which now runs dry, is depicted in LED light. This mélange of phenomena supplied the land with the specific requirements needed for the high desert grape varieties to flourish. These temporal characteristics are what give this art installation its physical form and also makes the wine that comes from here so special.
Biography
Ellipsis Studio is headed by Phoenix artist Amanda Clayton. With her strong background in landscape architecture, Clayton brings a naturalistic aspect to her ethereal art installations. Her body of work focuses on the natural surroundings, reinterpreted in an abstract way. Common lenses for the public art installations are materials such as neon and mirrors. She is a graduate of the Herberger Art and Design School at Arizona State University with a master’s degree in landscape architecture with a focus in sculpture and fine arts. She also holds degrees in sustainability and urban development and seeks to integrate that knowledge wherever possible in the themes of her work.