"WE FEATHER OUR NEST TOGETHER"
by Sondra N. Arkin
mixed media
(kudzu, honeysuckle, black raspberry,
iris, beeswax, doll parts, hemp thread,
ping pong balls, thumbtacks,
22K gold leaf, feathers)
12" L x 13" W x 5" H
$450
"My work draws from both manmade and natural environments. As such, my work often strikes viewers as familiar but not particularly specific. The dolls, gold leaf, beeswax, and most of the foraged plant matter all came from the same place. The ping pong balls are spare parts from two earlier artwork iterations and represent what we save as precious. Ristras are the strings of chile you see hanging along fences, on patios and on portals all over New Mexico, where I was lucky to spend my elementary school years. Ristras are used for decoration and storage, and are said to bring good health and good luck.
"Our relationship with what is all around us – but cannot be seen, what we fail to notice, and what hides in plain sight – attracts me; and how we relate focuses on these connections. My work advances ideas most important to me – issues of ecological stewardship, community, and individual responsibility – by asking for a close examination of what is around us. Ultimately, I am concerned with the impact that we have on this planet in the short time that we are alive. It seems to me that we bear a responsibility to move through this world with a whisper, as respectful guests would, using our knowledge to nurture the world in which we live." -- Sondra N. Arkin
Washington D.C. artist Sondra N. Arkin has participated in many exhibitions in both galleries and museums, and her work has been represented in a number of private, corporate, and public collections including the U.S. State Department’s Art in Embassies Program, the DC Art Bank, and public art in Crystal City, Virginia. She has curated many independent projects, regularly programs alternative arts spaces, and is deeply involved in the mid-Atlantic arts community.
See more of Sondra N. Arkin's work!