Hands that hold too tightly

Hands That Hold Too Tightly is a mixed-media installation piece that combines textiles and earthen materials, including branches, fungi, and flowers in both their raw and chemically-preserved forms. What started with the broad theme of human ego versus nature, this project was inspired by the many ways in which humans feel entitled to the possession and control of nature as an entity that exists outside of themselves. This is something I have witnessed to varying degrees in my family, my friends, and even myself at times, but more apparently in the choices made by our government and the industries and corporations that our society depends on. The exploitation and over-consumption of natural resources is an all too common practice and is leading to rapid destruction and depletion on our planet. This piece was inspired by the striking contrast between earth’s natural cycles of life, death, and rebirth and humanistic desires for perfection, permanence, and possession. I believe that the tension between these two realities leads to distorted relationships with the land, making it more difficult to protect and preserve it.