Materials: video (3:39:07), burned cottonwood, black salt (salt blessed under Spring Thermstice May 1st Full Moon, mugwort, incense ash)
Dimensions: 8.5ft x 5ft x 9ft
Artist Statement:
It is said that many of the stars in the sky have already burned out, leaving only the reverberations of their light as a reminder. It is its light, its echo, that lives on, leaving us to witness its presence and absence, just as branches found on the ground echo the long-lived tree. Confronting the climate crisis we face today, we realize that many of these natural spaces are dead already. Despite our fond memories, we have lost something we cannot get back. Loss is an empty field with reminders of the life that grew there. Appreciation of nature is inherent to human experiences, and so is ecological grief, a sadness at the loss of non-human life. Like the light from the stars, these memories will carry on, and we are to take witness. Let this ritual serve to heighten the audience's awareness of the reality that all life faces, the certainty of mortality, and the comfort of being carried on in the light of the universe. See and be seen.
A special thank you to John Schmidt, who created much of the found footage used in this installation. Your vision of nature and humanity is so deeply personal and moving that I feel like I am a better person for bearing witness. We should all strive to see the beauty in others and the land around us, the way that you so obviously did. His film reels were found in an estate sale and originally donated to the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender Historical Society and were later transferred to the Prelinger Archives, where they can be viewed today.
See more from INVOKE Solo Exhibition at Three Leaches Gallery