The Essence of Life

Showing a dinosaur fetus surrounded by its safe egg shell from which a DNA-like structure emerges, this is a sculpture I made for art class.
The task was letting an ice cube melt in our palm and paying attention to our feelings. Then we were supposed to write down literally everything coming to our mind and create a figure resembling one of our thoughts as a process of abstraction.

My association consisted of something primeval, something ancient like like the ice age and life itself. The air bubbles captured within my ice cube reminded me of amber with organic inclusions, from which you can still extract DNA (explaining said structure in my sculpture). Thus, the idea of a dinosaur, a creature of the past, was born. Since the ice was cool and becoming painful to hold after a while, and since it was quickly melting away, I also wanted to include an aspect of fugacity. It is portrayed by the vulnerable fetus, only being protected by the fragile shell of its egg.
Finally, the silver wire shining through the black colour looks as if the painting has not been finished, standing for the eternal immaturity the little dinosaur is trapped in.

The photo was taken by a classmate as we were having an exhibition at school. I'm afraid the dinosaur is out of focus, but this is the only photo I have atm. I enhanced the contrast and cut it to shape. Materials used: air-drying clay and silver wire.