Dana Henry Martin

Dana Henry Martin

  • Toads

    Dozens of spadefoot and Sonoran toads died in my area after the monsoon rains last night. They’d come out onto… Read more.

    Dana Henry Martin
    1–2 minutes

  • Dreams

    I dreamed I was a mattress. A thin, hard mattress. I was also me. I sat on myself. Human me… Read more.

    Dana Henry Martin
    1–2 minutes

  • Baby Zebras

    I dreamed Jon died. I mourned for two years. Then I saw an ad for an AI dream companion. It… Read more.

    Dana Henry Martin
    1–2 minutes

  • Rustle and Racket

    My husband doesn’t like saguaros. I felt an immediate connection with them. They’re columns of water, not unlike humans. They… Read more.

    Dana Henry Martin
    1–2 minutes

  • This Canyon

    The problem with this canyon is that it doesn’t know it’s a canyon, so it will go on being a… Read more.

    Dana Henry Martin
    1–2 minutes

  • Exploding and Floating

    A turkey vulture glides over the creek, wings bent, head down. Fist-shaped clouds fill the sky. Am I the only… Read more.

    Dana Henry Martin
    1–2 minutes

  • Vermillion Cliffs, Arizona

    Lexi one year ago today. We were going to see a California Condor release. Vermillion Cliffs, Arizona, October 11, 2022. Read more.

    Dana Henry Martin
    1–2 minutes

  • Boxcar Mama

    My mother was named after a vaudeville dancer and circus performer. That performer also had a Pullman boxcar named after… Read more.

    Dana Henry Martin
    1–2 minutes

  • Norman, Oklahoma

    Me with my dog Shi Shi. Taken by my brother. Norman, Oklahoma, 1982. Read more.

    Dana Henry Martin
    1–2 minutes

  • The Dance Magazine, 1928

    This page from The Dance Magazine, dated July 1928, features Mignon Laird. She was one of the dancers at the… Read more.

    Dana Henry Martin
    1–2 minutes

PROCESS

  • Map and Research: Investigate the historical, geological, and ecological context of each collection site or reverse the direction, mapping sites based on ancestral and historical narratives.
  • Forage: Gather natural materials ethically, respectfully, and with permission.
  • Transform: Process foraged materials into custom mediums and physical resources for art-making.
  • Weave: Track the stories held within the land, braiding personal, ancestral, and ecological histories.
  • Create: Generate studies and finished artwork informed by the sites and physically composed of the materials collected.

  • Limits: Not all sites will be safe or accessible, which means some spaces cannot be entered, and some stories will remain incomplete. An empty container can signify these omissions.

purpose

ethics

Responsible Exploration: Committing to mindful presence, permission-based foraging, and minimal-impact exploration on every site.

Meaning

Embodied Storytelling: Engaging in sensory, place-based creation that connects the maker and viewer to the specific location and to the physical earth.

Reclamation: Unearthing and honoring lost, fractured, or overlooked histories embedded in the landscape.

Material Transformation: Celebrating the alchemy of turning raw, gathered earth into tangible, expressive art.

community

Public Education: Sharing the ecological and historical narratives of the sites to foster a deeper collective awareness.

Active Participation: Creating opportunities for community participation, engagement, and shared connection through the work.