Ghost Forest

Ghost Forest

Mesa Contemporary Art Museum

January 23 – May 21, featuring a performance by Simone Mancuso, April 16th

6 channel audio, single channel video, ink jet prints, ceramic,

Posthumanism—a reimagining of humanity’s place in the world, and a recognition of the permeable boundaries between species, the potency of symbiosis, and the vibrancy of all life forms—is a philosophy to live by. Symbiosis is a profoundly intimate relationship, responsible for the success of life on this planet, including our own. As a member of this planet, I am a symbiote: receptive and porous, both physiologically and mentally.

Statement:

In my practice and research, I imagine extending my senses to understand the experiences and sensations of other life forms. If I could feel like the other, wouldn’t I treat the other with respect and value their life? I believe that acknowledging our entangled interdependence will bring us a saner future—an alternative to our current destructive state of separation from nature. I envision a future that bridges the rift between humanity and our ecosystem, fostering a collaborative way of living in which all species exist respectfully within a complex, interdependent network.

My studio practice spans performance, interventions, video, sculpture, multimedia installation, and collaboration. Most recently, I have become captivated by eco-acoustics, which sharpens sensitivity to the unseen and unheard species living and growing all around us. When I record the natural world—capturing the sounds of lichen, rocks, or wind moving through trees—I feel a wild, visceral connection to it, as vibrations resonate through my skull via my headphones. I am increasingly aware of my aging body, learning to appreciate it as both a metaphor for our ancient planet and a record of time—a collapsed timescale compared to the slow growth of lichen or the gradual formation of sedimentary layers, yet a record, nonetheless. I value art as a way to communicate ideas, present potent possibilities, and grant permission to sit quietly in the world, recognizing our place in nature. Art may also serve as a tool. Author Amitav Ghosh, in The Great Derangement, argues that contemporary art has largely failed by rarely addressing the most pressing issue of our time—the global climate crisis. He writes: “When future generations look back upon the Great Derangement (Ghosh’s term for our inability to apprehend ecological cataclysm), they will certainly blame the leaders and politicians of this time for their failure to address the climate crisis. But they may well hold artists and writers to be equally culpable—for the imagining of possibilities is not, after all, the job of politicians and bureaucrats.”

I agree that we have failed to share a compelling creative vision to counter climate change. This is why I focus on making work that is making-with: collaborative, boundaryless, and open to change and growth.