Through aluminum casts of seed pods and other organic materials, Sarah M. Rodriguez transforms fragile natural forms into enduring sculptures that explore growth, accumulation, time, and the tension between permanence and change.
At the Whitney Biennial 2026, Sarah M. Rodriguez presents sculptures that transform delicate forms from the natural world into lasting, elemental structures.
Born in Honolulu and based in New Mexico, Rodriguez begins her process by collecting organic materials—objects such as seed pods that already contain associations with growth, reproduction, transformation, and the passage of time.
She then translates these temporary natural forms into aluminum, preserving their shapes while fundamentally changing their physical character.
Something fragile becomes durable.
Something organic becomes metallic.
And something inherently temporary is given the possibility of permanence.
From Seed Pods to Aluminum
Rodriguez’s process begins with close observation of the natural world.
The organic materials she collects contain their own structures, textures, irregularities, and histories.
Using sand molds, Rodriguez casts these forms in aluminum.
The process preserves traces of the original objects while replacing their natural material with metal.
This transformation creates an immediate tension within the sculptures.
The forms still reference living systems, yet they have become solid, industrial, and enduring.
Transformation Through Casting
Casting is more than a technical process within Rodriguez’s work.
It becomes a way of thinking about transformation itself.
The original organic material belongs to a cycle of growth, decay, and regeneration. Once translated into aluminum, its form can remain even after the original object would have disappeared.
The sculpture therefore becomes a kind of record.
It preserves the physical language of something temporary without attempting to preserve the living material itself.
That distinction gives the work much of its quiet power.
Accumulation and Abstract Form
Rodriguez does not necessarily leave these casts as isolated objects.
Individual aluminum elements are welded together into larger abstract compositions.
Through accumulation, recognizable natural forms begin to shift into something less easily categorized.
Repetition creates rhythm.
Individual elements become part of larger structures.
The sculptures begin to suggest systems of growth and organization rather than simply reproducing individual specimens from nature.
In this way, Rodriguez moves between observation and abstraction.
Learning From Non-Human Behavior
Alongside her artistic practice, Rodriguez works as an animal trainer.
Her close attention to non-human behavior introduces another dimension to the sculptures.
Training and observing animals requires sensitivity to patterns, repetition, movement, response, and communication that may operate differently from human systems.
That awareness subtly informs the rhythms and structures within Rodriguez’s work.
Rather than positioning nature simply as something to be represented, her practice suggests sustained attention to the ways non-human life organizes, changes, responds, and exists.
Permanence and Change
One of the strongest tensions within Rodriguez’s sculptures exists between permanence and transformation.
A seed pod represents potential.
It can contain the possibility of future growth while simultaneously marking a stage within a larger biological cycle.
Aluminum behaves differently.
It gives weight and durability to something originally connected to change and eventual decay.
By bringing these materials and associations together, Rodriguez allows both conditions to exist within the same sculpture.
The original form speaks of change.
The new material speaks of endurance.
Sarah M. Rodriguez at the Whitney Biennial 2026
Within the Whitney Biennial 2026, Rodriguez’s sculptures encourage a slower consideration of materials and the histories they can carry.
Her work begins with modest elements from the natural world but expands into questions about time, preservation, growth, behavior, and transformation.
Through casting and accumulation, fleeting organic forms acquire a new physical life.
At the Whitney Museum of American Art, Sarah M. Rodriguez’s sculptures hold a quiet tension between permanence and change, capturing the temporary language of nature in forms designed to endure.
Explore the Complete Tarik Talk Whitney Biennial 2026 Series
Tarik Talk created dedicated coverage of every artist featured in the Whitney Biennial 2026, with individual episodes exploring the artists, artworks, histories, and ideas shaping this edition of the Biennial.
The complete series—including videos and podcast episodes—is available across Tarik Talk’s podcast streaming platforms and social media platforms, offering a closer look at every artist featured in the Whitney Biennial 2026.
About Tarik Talk
Tarik Talk is an international podcast and visual documentary series created and hosted by Brazilian artist Tarik Mendes, exploring contemporary art, culture, and creativity through conversations and on-location experiences around the world.
With more than 200 episodes spanning over 50 seasons and recorded in more than 10 countries, Tarik Talk brings audiences inside museums, galleries, artist studios, art fairs, cultural institutions, and creative spaces while documenting the artists, curators, museum professionals, collectors, designers, and cultural voices shaping today’s creative landscape.
Through interviews, exhibition visits, artist profiles, and special documentary series, Tarik Talk explores the stories behind the art—connecting people, places, ideas, and creative communities across cities and countries.
Listen & Watch Tarik Talk
Follow Tarik Talk
Pinterest — Tarik Talk Podcast
Explore More
Visit TarikTalk.com to explore episodes by artist, guest, series, city, country, museum, gallery, art fair, artist studio, and residency.
Follow @tariktalk for new episodes, interviews, exhibition visits, guest features, and behind-the-scenes stories from the global art world.