Beginning Again is inspired by the wisdom of nature and addresses our need for connection, especially in the wake of tragic events such as the Marshall Fire. The media used in the installation include charcoal from the Marshall Fire, dry grasses, wood, paper, mirrors, mycorrhizae, red and yellow iron oxide, yellow, green, and rust paint, and clay.
The installation is a pillar of roots and mirrors suspended from the ceiling. Also suspended from the ceiling in the center of the piece is a paper sculpture representing the heart and below it a pile of charred remains from the Marshall Fire. As the roots hang down, they transition from fire-red, to dry-browns and yellows and finally, the green of re-growth and renewal.
Recently, I have been investigating how nature instructs us, especially as it relates to our interconnectedness and resiliency. In December, when the devastating Marshall Fire tore through the community just a few miles from my own home, it became the subject of this investigation. Many of my friends evacuated their homes and I reached out in an effort to connect with them. I witnessed the devastation of a dear friend who lost her home and others whose neighbors lost their homes, and again I was reminded of our interconnectedness.
Nature’s resilience and built-in systems of connection provide an example to us of how we too can recover from this tragedy. A few miles from my home, where the grass was black just a few months ago, it is now becoming a brilliant green. This recovery is possible because of a rich bed of mycorrhizal connections, a network of millions of underground organisms, who in difficult times, step up and provide whatever is needed for recovery. Our communities must do the same. We must establish a rich support system for each other and follow the example set by nature.
The installation is a pillar of roots and mirrors suspended from the ceiling. Also suspended from the ceiling in the center of the piece is a paper sculpture representing the heart and below it a pile of charred remains from the Marshall Fire. As the roots hang down, they transition from fire-red, to dry-browns and yellows and finally, the green of re-growth and renewal.
Recently, I have been investigating how nature instructs us, especially as it relates to our interconnectedness and resiliency. In December, when the devastating Marshall Fire tore through the community just a few miles from my own home, it became the subject of this investigation. Many of my friends evacuated their homes and I reached out in an effort to connect with them. I witnessed the devastation of a dear friend who lost her home and others whose neighbors lost their homes, and again I was reminded of our interconnectedness.
Nature’s resilience and built-in systems of connection provide an example to us of how we too can recover from this tragedy. A few miles from my home, where the grass was black just a few months ago, it is now becoming a brilliant green. This recovery is possible because of a rich bed of mycorrhizal connections, a network of millions of underground organisms, who in difficult times, step up and provide whatever is needed for recovery. Our communities must do the same. We must establish a rich support system for each other and follow the example set by nature.
