WW14: Root System

Reconstructing  Sandy series emphasizes the power of nature and its destructive force. A proposed project for this residence is to create and to complete sculptures that use all natural materials collected after the intense devastation of hurricane Sandy.              I believe that an object taken out of the natural environment in which it was born can adapt. It can expand to become a force within its  surroundings by appropriating a new identity while maintaining its own individuality. Its original plasticity will become a new artistic expression. Reconstructing Sandy series addresses the daily stress of individuals when facing a global crisis that is affecting us all. Through my sculptures, I want to contribute to a greater climate change awareness as it may affect us all in the near future and reach a point of no return.

Traces. Raffia palm and jute. 12” x 11” x 9”

Reconstructing Installation. Raffia palm and jute. 105” x 40”

After Sandy. Tree branch found in the New Jersey Coast after Hurricane Sandy. 20” x 13” x 10”

Traces. Raffia palm and jute. 12” x 11” x 9”

Greetings. My Recent work investigates relationships between neighbors, the ethics of owning land, and the natural world traversing across property lines (see images). For this residency, I want to research the emerald ash borer (EAB), an exotic beetle that was discovered in southeastern Michigan near Detroit in 2002. Emerald ash borer probably arrived in the United States on wood packing materials carried in cargo ships or airplanes originating in its native Asia. As of 2017, it is now found in 31 states, and the Canadian provinces of Ontario and Quebec. Since its discovery, EAB has killed hundreds of millions of ash trees in North America.

The way we use and overlook the power of earth, as in the ground, rock and soil below our feet, has been an ongoing theme and concern throughout my work. In this project I would like to document via artwork my personal dependency on the earth, as well as, how this dependency may also be impacting my health and my family’s health.

My first step will be to document through architectural plans, paintings and mixed media this dependency on the soil on which I live. This includes how my well water system works (yes, I live in NJ and our house is solely supplied by our own private well); how our septic system impacts our ground and plumbing system; how the soil varies enough to alter the need for various foundation systems; and how living creatures inhabit this same space.

Next, I will examine and convey the interactions and impact of my domestic systems and greater global systems as they specifically effect ground water. For example, I will focus on what impact my neighbors’ pesticide has, what impact the local paving company has, and what impact more regional companies such as Johnson and Johnson and PSE&G have on the ground water that we drink.

Climate change affects us all, however it has been indirectly informing my work for quite some time. I am interested in creating work dealing with the more frequent occurrence and increasing strength of storms/hurricanes as a result of climate change. After experiencing Super Storm Sandy, I began painting on firewood. The wood was vital for basic necessities once the power went out. This material that is usually ignored or used as a luxury in winter was elevated to a higher standard. Using this disregarded material I created paintings and sculptures.

I would like to continue my exploration into the effects of intensifying storms in our environment as well as how these more frequent storms affect architecture. It is a strange dichotomy that both the natural and man-made have been affected negatively by our environmental decisions. The trees are manufactured into the structures that are to shelter us from the storms that we are unfortunately helping to escalate. It’s as if there is a war between the man-made and natural world with both ending up as the losers.

During this residency, I would like to create an installation of fallen trees cut up into pieces and stacked precariously at varying heights in order to replace the ones toppled by storms. These sculptures would exist freestanding as well as paintings on firewood and found wood with abstracted architecture affected by storms. These paintings evoke my sense of helplessness as the weather takes over. The paintings on firewood start on the wall, crawl down and end up in varying stacks on the floor. I would also like to include seedlings to give out in order to replace the trees that are felled by storms.

Here are some examples of past work. I’d like to create larger scale versions with an addition of tree stumps.

Hello WW11artists!

Since Doris and I first discussed the theme for this year’s wonder women project it seems like everywhere I turn there are ‘environmental’ themed exhibits….kind of like if you start thinking about becoming a mother, pregnant women suddenly seem to be everywhere you look! I’m really looking forward to discussing each of your projects with you and seeing how the work develops into the whole of WW11.

I thought I would share the two current projects below, I think they are thoughtful ways to engage through art on concerns of resources and climate.

See you Sunday!

Eileen
http://www.drawingcenter.org/en/drawingcenter/5/exhibitions/9/upcoming/1674/winter-term/

http://www.schuylkillcenter.org/art/?ha_exhibit=learn-a-rivers-name
http://www.schuylkillcenter.org/blog/event/7th-annual-richard-l-james-lecture/

As a first-generation American POC woman, I’ve started reclaiming indigenous/ancestral spiritual practices in order to deepen my connection to the earth and its presence in ways that go beyond data. Data is an important analyzing tool but is often ignored because people grasp at stories more readily as they are more engaging than numbers. Numbers and facts alone do not inspire enough action, however tapping into the moral and ethical principles can do the trick. For example, the viral picture of a dying polar bear, while tragic, could be too shameful and stifle action.

Is it possible that indigenous/ancestral spiritual practices could alter the presentation of climate change? How can indigenous/ancestral spiritual practices play into the presentation of climate change? What might the marriage between climate data and spiritual practices look like? For this residency, I want to explore visualizing climate data using spiritual iconography and rituals. I am interested in a change that goes beyond data, tapping into the data as a visual reference that strengthens our relationship to Earth.

Santeria is a very visual spiritual practice. From its altars to its jewelry, it plays with color and ornaments that pay homage to its orishas (deities) and omnipresence. Care to climate is such an integral part of the practice to the point that the orishas are elements of the earth (water, fire, etc.). For this residency, I’m interested in creating an altar to Yemaya, the Yorùbá Orisha or ‘Goddess of the living ocean’, considered to be the mother of all. When practitioners, daughters and sons of Yemaya, embody her in spiritual dances they move a large flowy skirt and sculpt it to resemble water. I want to create a sculpture of Yemaya whose skirt is modeled based on climate data (see sketch below.) Surrounded by other altered traditional objects, this sculpture will serve as its centerpiece.

I created my first body scan. It got me thinking about “drawing” in 3D with scanned objects, meaning that I could potentially scan things separately and put them together in a less realistic way. I think this opens up the doors to be able to play with the visuals more and a more interesting approach to creating “drawings” with realistic textures. I will explore some of that as I get more comfortable with the scanning process.

Congratulations and welcome to Wonder Women!

THIS IS OUR GROUP BLOG! Please post your own proposals here before our first meeting and get a jump on introducing yourselves to each other.

Our first meeting is Sunday, January 28th at 12:00 pm. Be on time! We will be meeting at Dineen Hull Gallery at Hudson County Community College:

71 Sip Ave, 6th Floor

Jersey City, NJ 07306

Please bring a dish to share with the group for our potluck lunch.

At our first meeting each of you will briefly introduce yourself and present your project proposal for the residency. Bring any supporting materials to help illustrate your project. You can present digital images and supporting materials from your own computer or from a computer we will be providing. Feel free to bring any materials and work in progress you would like to show as well.

Some stills from the video.