Artist Statement:
“Through empty pockets, negative skins, trace fossils of life long past, we glean a glimpse of what once was, within the void. What objects, what negatives will tell our story?Bits of modern detritus, vital landscapes and industrial technologies reveal vast intricacies and discrepancies within a world where capitalism’s breath is both hollow and colossal, tapping the pulse of every living being on this planet. Built up, and broken down, teetering on the edge of an existence so fragile that a silent wind seems to threaten what once felt rooted and stable beneath our outstretched palms.
A Serendipitous discovery of an unknown origin; the archeological quality of clay compels the forms I make, and interactions that they evoke. When language fails to explain the nuances of material intimacy, clay provides a platform for understanding humankind’s deep emotional history with our environment and the objects we surround ourselves with.
Particles come from the earth, with long histories already embedded; once again broken down, reworked, and polished into something new-passing through our hands, leaving our bodies, to return to the earth. How will these engineered reconstructions inherently alter the essence of their particles’ cycles? What small epiphanies can be revealed from what we hold, build and break with our fingertips? And what of the oily prints we leave behind? Who will be the ones to piece together the stories of our negative skins, whispering in the wind?
About Rachael:
Rachael Marne is a collaborative ceramic and mixed media artist and writer, raised in Helena, Montana. Her work has taken her to many diverse ecologies that have influenced her drive to advocate for ecological awareness and interspecies kinship. She has been an artist in residence at Medalta International Artists in Residence in Alberta, Canada, Red Lodge Clay Center, Montana, The Cub Creek Foundation in Virginia, and the Watershed Center for the Ceramics Arts in Maine. Her sculptural and installation work has been exhibited regionally, nationally and internationally and she has written articles and essays for The Northern Clay Center, Studio Potter, and the National Council of the Education of Ceramic Arts 2022 Conference Journal, among others. She is the founder of the socially collaborative seed saving initiative called The Seed Bank Project and has taught ceramics, drawing and professional practices full time at St. Lawrence University for over 5 years. She recently returned to Montana to fulfill the role of Programs Coordinator at Red Lodge Clay Center in Red Lodge.
“Founded in 2017, The Seed Bank Project honors the perspectives of individuals and their connections to specific regional lands and regional plants. Part of the mission is to create artwork that is accessible beyond the gallery, putting local voices and the community first. The socially engaged collaboration between the artist and the community also builds platforms for ecological engagement via a three-tiered process: physical, reflective/data, and online resources. The process of burying handmade seed banks (made by Rachael Jones) builds a physical connection between participants, creative intention, and ecological curiosities and awareness. In selecting plants, participants consider both the geographical location and the cultural or regional significance of the plant type in relation to their personal or cultural connections. These plants must either be indigenous or have an acclimated, agricultural presence in the local environment. The public online database is written by collaborators who buried the seed bank and is accessible to all. Collaborators provide the GPS location (which is not shared publicly; only a general location is used for the pin), a photograph of the chosen plant, and a short synopsis of the plant’s cultural and ecological significance. Ultimately, and when faced with generalized global resistance to slowing or reversing climate change by means of political cooperation, burying the seeds and sharing collaborators’ stories are radical acts of hope.
Participation is voluntary, and no monetary exchange is required. However, participants can choose to donate funds to their chosen seed-saving organization listed below. The exchange model is loosely based on barter culture: a hand-made, slip-cast, double-walled seed bank is shipped to the participant with instructions, and in return, the participant performs the act of burying the bank and provides the research on the chosen plant’s ecological and cultural significance, which is then submitted to be cataloged in the public database.”-Rachel Marne Jones
