Curated by Newton Harrison, Salma Arastu
Featuring: Brandon Ballengée, Barbara Benish, Nathalie Blanc, Tim Collins and Reiko Goto, Jorgge Menna Baretto, Aviva Rahmani, Åsa Sonjasdotter, Ruth Wallen, Yangkura
Various Small Fires proudly presents Eco-art Work: 11 Artists from 8 Countries, a group show curated by Newton Harrison (b.1940) of The Harrison Studio, which he founded alongside his late wife Helen Mayer Harrison (1927-2018). This esteemed collaborative endeavor is a leading voice in the Ecological Art Movement. The exhibition brings together works by Harrison and ten additional artists: Salma Arastu, Brandon Ballengée, Barbara Benish, Nathalie Blanc, Tim Collins and Reiko Goto, Jorgge Menna Baretto, Aviva Rahmani, Åsa Sonjasdotter, Ruth Wallen, and Yangkura. The mixed-media works, paintings, sculptures, sound, videos, and research highlight the urgency of addressing environmental injustice in both local and global communities.
Spanning over five decades, the Harrisons have profoundly influenced the relationship between art, environmental policy, and ecological recovery, transforming landscapes, bodies of water, and even entire regions through their research and interventions. Their work has shaped urban planning and continues to inspire new generations of eco-artists dedicated to addressing the ecological crises we face.
Exhibition Highlights:
- Jorgge Menna Baretto’s video work, “Lugares Moles (Butter Architecture)”, offers a haunting commentary on climate change through the slow melting of architectural structures.
- Barbara Benish’s “Climate House” series revisits 1930s architectural drawings, juxtaposing rising tides with sterile blueprints, calling attention to the tangible impacts of climate change.
- Salma Arastu’s mycelium-inspired paintings highlight the healing and regenerative potential of fungal networks beneath the soil.
- Brandon Ballengée’s “Crude Oil Series” and “Frameworks of Absence” use oil spills and historical prints to underscore species loss and the devastating effects of environmental exploitation.
- Tim Collins and Reiko Goto’s “Lanolin” and video work “DECOY” explore Scotland’s deforested landscapes and the enduring bond between humans and trees.
The Harrisons’ own work, “Untitled (Outtake from Seventh Lagoon Cycle)”, details the ecosystem of the Pacific Rim, while their new work, “Epitaph”, contemplates humanity’s relationship with the web of life and reflects on their monumental legacy.
Eco-Art Work: 11 Artists from 8 Countries brings together these diverse voices and practices to raise awareness of our planet’s fragile state. Through art and research, these artists invite viewers to reflect on the critical role of ecosystems, and the work emphasizes our shared responsibility for the health and future of the Earth.