Dana Henry Martin

Utah

  • Volcano Complex

    We went to our local BLM field office and got a license to collect up to 250 pounds of material… Read more.

    Dana Henry Martin
    1–2 minutes

  • Vials

    I may be wrong about this, but here are five sediment samples from two different sites near where I live.… Read more.

    Dana Henry Martin
    1–2 minutes

  • Sampling and Exploring

    I rallied and got out of bed. What I mean is: I’m stubborn and internally driven even when externally constrained,… Read more.

    Dana Henry Martin
    1–2 minutes

  • Other Rhythms

    I’m wearing colluvial sediment from the 90-million-year-old Iron Springs Formation in the wildlands behind my Utah home around my neck… Read more.

    Dana Henry Martin
    1–2 minutes

  • The Collection

    For my dif/Fused Ancestry project: soil samples from Oklahoma and Utah, flora samples, bones, stones, vases, pastels, hair, and other… Read more.

    Dana Henry Martin
    1–2 minutes

  • Wind

    It’s so windy here in Toquerville that I feel like I’m in Béla Tarr’s The Turin Horse. Wind like this… Read more.

    Dana Henry Martin
    1–2 minutes

  • Slugs

    He’s one of those slugs that works in all kinds of vending machines. I’m a beat-up quarter that keeps falling… Read more.

    Dana Henry Martin
    2–3 minutes

  • Utah State Mental Health Hospital

    Here are some of the reasons a person could be committed to the state psychiatric hospital in Utah around 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.