Dana Henry Martin

Arizona

  • Morning Prayer September 21, 2024

    In the fall, Tucson smells like mildew, dirt, and cold metal. The wildlands behind our home are full of mouldering… Read more.

    Dana Henry Martin
    1–2 minutes

  • New Doves

    Two mourning doves just landed on my porch light. They have the adorable, bewildered look of fledglings. Hello, Rosencrantz! Hello,… Read more.

    Dana Henry Martin
    1–2 minutes

  • Post-Monsoon Bloom

    I have a Mojave Desert wardrobe, but I’m a Sonoran Desert dweller now. I need to be more columnar cactus,… Read more.

    Dana Henry Martin
    1–2 minutes

  • 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

  • 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

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.