Never Ever Give Up

In 2018 I produced a series of intaglios (zinc plates) on the refugee crisis. Mass migration due to war and natural disasters was stressing the resources of many countries. Politicians seized on this crisis to take authoritarian power and fan the flames of fear of the “other.” The image for this piece depicting a swimmer during a thunderstorm came to me intuitively. The dangers of swimming during an electrical storm, refugees swimming miles in the Mediterranean Sea only to be turned back or blocked from entering a country. They leave their homes not willingly but out of desperation. Now we find ourselves in the midst of a pandemic which makes visible the disparities between people with adequate income and stability and those who struggle, especially people of color in the U.S. This piece is about struggle for life, doing whatever it takes to move forward, even under dangerous conditions. The brutal murder of George Floyd in my city, in Minnesota has instigated rightful protests, chaos, riots and a cry for justice. Black Lives Matter. A Global Movement is born. Never ever give up.

Miriam - The Prophetess

My intaglio print “Miriam” is on display at the Benedictine Center of the St Paul’s Monastery in the 2019 Seeing God Juried Exhibition of Sacred Art, in the section of work created by the judges. This is my first experience being a judge versus being judged. It was very enlightening and challenging to judge the first round by viewing only from digital images. Digital images do not allow for the impact of size variation and you cannot see virtually any texture which is very important in most pieces. Bold images grab your attention whereas subtle delicate art work can easily be passed by without making a sufficient impact - a lost opportunity for the artist and the exhibition viewers. Judging is a humbling experience to be sure. Judging the awards was a different challenge. My decisions were based my my love of craft, the mark of the hand and creativity besides technical capability and professionalism of the framing or presentation. Did the artist have a unique approach? Is there a sense of spirit or deeper spirituality being communicated. Nature photography is popular and often very beautiful. But too many photos in an exhibit, lovely as they may be, do not necessarily challenge us to explore the deeper reaches of the soul. View “Seeing God” through March 9th. Join us for an Artist Conversation February 10 1-3:00 between the participating artists, judges and viewers. Ask questions and jump into the dialog - it should be lively and add meaningful context to the exhibit.

Changing The World With Art - Immigration

Sacrifice -  Seeking A Better Life
Today the number of immigrants is overwhelming many countries’ resources and their capability to support them. Politically, there is a rise in nationalism due to fear and economic uncertainty. Politicians, especially in the United States and Europe, have used this fear to gain power, fanning the flames of division using fear of the “other”.

My piece was developed to counter this fear-mongering and create empathy in the viewer’s mind with refugees. No one wants to leave their home and country unless circumstances have forced them to re-evaluate their life and to seek safety or a better way of life.  Mass migration is caused by war, famine, natural disasters and economic distress.  I am the grand-daughter of a Swedish immigrant and both sides of my family,  maternal and paternal, migrated from Sweden.  I was raised with immigrants, heard their stories at my grandparents parties, our family had visitors from the “old country” and still consider myself not too far from that experience.

Twenty-five percent of Sweden migrated from 1850 to the1930’s,  mostly due to famine. Some migrated for freedom of religion. Think about that statistic - 25% of the population - how devastating the situation must have been to cause that massive a migration and how it affected the society in which it happened because of course it is the young and more healthy who are able to leave. The current immigration story is the same as the story of my family.

The media is full of devastating images, people floating on rickety boats, trying to get on trains, being held back by lines of soldiers or barbed wire fencing.  My piece contains images of these key elements that symbolize this struggle.  A woman carrying her child on her back beside a train. A couple disembarking from a boat, feeling weary but relieved having survived; in the center is the iconic image of the dead refugee child on the beach, an image so horrific that it is seared in our hearts and minds - was shared globally.  This is the risk immigrants take. It may involve loss of life, loss of dear ones. Thus, the title of my piece Sacrifice - Seeking A Better Life.

I chose to incorporate this devastating image in the center of my piece because it is iconic -  in the same way that the Vietnam War was associated with the little girl running down the street naked, having lost her clothes to napalm. At the bottom of the center print is also a sharp angled shape with red “flames” that symbolizes the violence of war and natural disasters, the tragedies that cause mass migration.  It also symbolizes the violent divisions caused by populist politicians fanning the flames of fear over this issue.

The composition of my piece, an intaglio triptych, unobtrusively resembles a cross, a symbol of suffering. My piece is intended to compel us to have empathy with those who suffer and to open our borders, and share what we have with those who seek refuge. It is our moral imperative.