An ink on paper scroll spanning 10′ tall x 4′ wide which explores a mythic adaptation of women in a world from a watery base through the Earth, to enter the fire and arriving at the air above. The transformative figures are adapting to the hostile shifts in our climate both in the environment and politics of human rights.
“The world around us is changing in unprecedented ways: the climate is warming at an alarming rate; geopolitics pushes and pulls at borders and national identities; shorelines erode and garbage heaps grow. The transformation of our lived environment is jarring, just as the devastation wrought on nature is troubling.
For this exhibition, I selected works that address the tenuous relationship between human and animal, culture and nature. For many of these artists, the concept of transformation appears in the form of rotting fruit, blackened oyster shells or a haunted camping tent, seemingly depicting the collapse of nature. Whereas in other works, beautiful blooms, colorful recyclables and fibers, or heraldic images of flora and fauna point to a hope that the future is bright and that nature might emerge victorious.
I hope that all of the work in the exhibition makes the viewer think about their own place in the world and what they are each doing to save us from further annihilation and negative change. I wish that viewers find beauty in decay and inspiration in darkness, just as they might smile and imagine a better tomorrow when faced with the more optimistic work in the show. For me, transformation and change are always good things: they make us grow, force us to adapt, and hopefully make us stronger as a result.
Thank you to all of the amazing artists who submitted works to this exhibition, and to the New Bedford Art Museum for inviting me to be the juror for this show.”
Eric Shiner
President, Powerhouse Arts
ExhibitionTransformationsVenueNew Bedford Art MuseumCuratorEric ShinerYear2024
