Dana Henry Martin

Ephemera

  • No-God

    There is no god, and no-god visited me today in the form of a red-tailed hawk. I said to the… Read more.

    Dana Henry Martin
    1–2 minutes

  • A Desolating Experience

    I wish birds could read. Then I’d have my preferred audience. T. H. White wrote about nature because he didn’t… Read more.

    Dana Henry Martin
    1–2 minutes

  • Destroyed

    I saw my first-ever red-shouldered hawk today. We watched each other for a long time. I saw the red-shouldered hawk… Read more.

    Dana Henry Martin
    1–2 minutes

  • Human Contact

    I saw a sign that read, “Ring Bell for Human Contact.” I did not ring the bell. When shade turns… Read more.

    Dana Henry Martin
    1–2 minutes

  • Secretive Nature

    I want to upcycle Congress into an old-growth forest. My bird name would be the beaver-toothed ruminator. I’m pretty sure… Read more.

    Dana Henry Martin
    1–2 minutes

  • Erratics

    I love the maple more because of the cardinal, and I love the cardinal more because of the maple. Black… Read more.

    Dana Henry Martin
    1–2 minutes

  • Red Birds

    Church bells, and two mourning doves flying toward them. These birds are using me for my birdbath. A blue jay… Read more.

    Dana Henry Martin
    1–2 minutes

  • Ordinary Birds

    I am fascinated by ordinary birds. All afternoon, two downy woodpeckers danced up and down the sweet gum tree. Sprinklers… Read more.

    Dana Henry Martin
    1–2 minutes

  • Sewage Creek

    I came home to a downy woodpecker, a chipmunk, and a baby bunny. They were all in the yard together.… Read more.

    Dana Henry Martin
    1–2 minutes

  • Pollinators

    Atop his favorite granite stone, my dearest chipmunk surveys his territory. There’s time to take it all in before 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.