Masters of Fine Art Thesis Exhibition | Respiration | May 13th - June 5th, 2022 | Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, Philadelphia, PA

A collection and gathering of visual notes drawn from the New Jersey Pine Barrens. Respiration consists of investigations and explorations of the macro and microcosms within a forest, humans interconnectedness, in-separateness and relationship to trees, circles, cycles and the necessity of prescribed forest burns. An acknowledgment of the elementals, the beauty of being immersed in a place, noticing, and allowing ourselves to be a spectator of life. 

This project was funded by PAFA’s Fine Arts Venture Fund Grant.

Untitled (automatic drawings 1-6), 2022, Pen on paper 4 3/4 x 8 1/4 inches

Untitled (automatic drawings), 2022, Charcoal collected from a prescribed forest burn on paper, 18 x 24 inches

“Respiration - the source of energy that lets us farm and dance and speak. The breath of plants gives life to animals and the breath of animals gives life to plants. My breath is your breath, your breath is mine. It’s a great poem of give and take, of reciprocity that animates the world.”

Robin Wall Kimmerer in Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teachings of Plants.

Respiration, 2022, Five minute digital video