JANUARY 27, 2024 JACKIE ANDRES

“Aquatic Flash.” All images © Kelly O’Dell

Artist Kelly O’Dell explores the ammonite’s elegant form through delicate, swirling sculptures in bold color.

Before going extinct more than 65 million years ago, ammonites were cephalopods that roamed marine landscapes donning coiled shell exteriors. Now, they serve as index fossils that provide a valuable look into a geologic period far before our existence. Captivated by themes of origin, extinction, preservation, and conservation, Lopez Island-based artist Kelly O’Dell explores the ammonite’s elegant form through hot glass sculpture.

“Sunset Seas”

O’Dell spent her first 25 years in Hawai’i, an island formed over a geological hotspot. “I grew up obsessed with my own mortality, right alongside rumbling earthquakes and gurgling volcanoes,” she says. “It is fascinating and devastating that our existence has so much impact on the delicate balance of life. I hope my artwork could serve as a reminder, or ‘memento’ of our borrowed time.”[…]

Left: detail from “Of Ancient Seas.” Right: “Of Ancient Seasons”

More: Kelly O’Dell Brings Extinct Creatures Back to Life through Vibrant Colored Glass — Colossal