Terra Familiar

Terra Familiar

Front Street, 1001 E 2nd St, Dayton, OH   Building BC, Gallery Number  2480

About the show

Terra Familiar is a collaborative exhibition between myself, a vernal pool, and its surrounding ecosystem. For a full year I’ve had the privilege of visiting this strange patch of semi-developed land. There, I have witnessed an eye-opening array of seasonal phenomena and transformations undertaken by our non-human neighbors. 

The pool has been an ideal guide through these dynamic changes. Given time and attention the pool revealed itself as a frog womb, an old scar inflicted via bulldozer, a mirror for the moon, and at times just an empty ditch. This body of water embodies the surrounding landscape's journey through birth, death, and rebirth. In the cloudy months of late fall the pool begins to swell. Winter’s embrace then hugs the cold water to Earth. Once thawed, this suburban oasis provides a vital breeding ground for insects and amphibians. Collectively they race the sun to maturity as day by day the summer heat slowly vaporizes their aquatic home. 

A replica of the pool rests at the center of this exhibition surrounded by works of art. Each piece celebrates a transient flourish of life, an elevation of humble materials, or an experience of everyday divinity. The viewer is invited to revel in the mystery and the familiarity pouring forth from the pool.

About the artist

Hello, I am multimedia artist from the Midwest. My practice is grounded in a relationship with the non-human ecosystems that dance, often unnoticed, in our immediate surroundings. The creative kinship I experience with these spaces has seeped into the most intimate folds of my being, eroding the distance between art and the personal. This intertwinement has placed the endless novelty of our Earth at the heart of my artistic endeavors, gifting me with a constant source of inspiration and materials. Simultaneously, the planet’s divine continuity through time, space, and season structures my sense of self and belonging.

Thank you, Mother Earth <3

Links & Tags

Front Street

Terra Familiar is taking place at Front Street, which is located at 1001 East 2nd St in Dayton. Front Street - Front Street is the largest community of artists and artisans in Dayton Ohio. - read more