Dana Henry Martin

Neurodiversity

  • 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

  • Keeping Count

    I’m counting is how I am. I have something to do in 206 minutes. Yes, I count things down like… Read more.

    Dana Henry Martin
    1–2 minutes

  • Neuro-

    Neuro- is a combining form that means nerve, nerves, and nervous system. It does not mean brain, though the nervous… Read more.

    Dana Henry Martin
    1–2 minutes

  • Maria Gugging Psychiatric Clinic

    In September 1994, [David] Bowie and Brian Eno—who had reunited to develop new music—accepted an invitation from the Austrian artist… Read more.

    Dana Henry Martin
    1–2 minutes

  • The Order

    I want to talk about the concentration camp being built in Utah, where I live, that will warehouse people who… Read more.

    Dana Henry Martin
    2–3 minutes

  • Frictions

    “Nothing about us without us.” That’s a guiding principle in the disability-rights movement. It applies to the mental-health justice and… Read more.

    Dana Henry Martin
    5–8 minutes

  • Updated Immunotypical Privilege List

    In 2014, I wrote a piece titled “44 Signs of Immunotypical Privilege” shortly after my diagnosis with common variable immunodeficiency.… Read more.

    Dana Henry Martin
    6–9 minutes

  • Realms Beautiful and Terrifying

    Awake is my least favorite word when I don’t want to be. Our water purifier started making a high-pitched noise… Read more.

    Dana Henry Martin
    2–3 minutes

  • My Dog, My Hands, My Buttery Butter-Stick Fingers

    I know when my dog, Lexi, is happy. I know when she’s sad. I know when she wants to be… Read more.

    Dana Henry Martin
    7–11 minutes

  • Two Selves

    I meditated for a couple of hours this morning after reading selections from Essential Zen. At first, there was mostly… Read more.

    Dana Henry Martin
    3–5 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.