Dana Henry Martin

Ephemera

  • Liquor and Weapons

    Today, I mistook a piece of sushi for an old philosopher. Oh my God, I love the dirt. I love… Read more.

    Dana Henry Martin
    2–3 minutes

  • A Delicate Balance

    Today I am grateful for the kindness of our neighbors, the beauty of the earth and sky, and for sharing… Read more.

    Dana Henry Martin
    1–2 minutes

  • Gestures and Nods

    The greatest disappointment of my life thus far is learning that we are as isolated in our joy as we… Read more.

    Dana Henry Martin
    2–3 minutes

  • Safe Return

    I just misread While people often post photos of daily minutiae such as food as White people often post photos… Read more.

    Dana Henry Martin
    1–2 minutes

  • The Edge

    Today, we saw the edge of a controlled burn, red flames against char. Today in Dayton, pieces of charred wheat… Read more.

    Dana Henry Martin
    3–5 minutes

  • Love and Light

    Found book title: CB Talk for Goodbye. I’m 40 years old. Time to stop acting like a cheerleader and simply… Read more.

    Dana Henry Martin
    1–2 minutes

  • Our Backward Mess

    Aside from not representing faces with accuracy, painting was an area of strength for him. — hypothetical neuropsychological evaluation of… Read more.

    Dana Henry Martin
    1–2 minutes

  • Origins

    When I was young, a small town swallowed me whole. Now, I can swallow a small town whole. Writing a… Read more.

    Dana Henry Martin
    1–2 minutes

  • Two Sides

    Weird things poets say: You’re not allowed to have an original voice unless we know who you are. While editing,… Read more.

    Dana Henry Martin
    1–2 minutes

  • Controlled Falling

    Soon we will come to see ourselves not as sentient beings but as digital beings. One of my neighbors is… 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.