Drought/Fire/Ash



This exhibit involves landscape and artifacts of the catastrophic drought and ensuing forest wild fires in Bastrop County, Texas which began on September 3, 2011 and were 90% contained by September 17, 2011.

I live in central Austin, but my relationship to Bastrop is intimate. I have three horses that live on a ranch in Bastrop County and much of my previous artwork has relied on the natural artifacts that I collect on the ranch to use as drawing, painting and found object installations.

During the time the fires raged, I was actively involved in horse rescue as the fires loomed closer and closer. We evacuated over 40 horses to safe places in six hours. I was fortunate to not lose any of my animals, but I know so many people whose loss is overwhelming.

As a result of the wildfires, over 1500 homes were lost and over 35,000 acres were burned to ash. One house is particularly close to my participation in Bastrop’s communities.

As an artist I contemplate loss and attempt to reclaim beauty. On Saturday, September 17, I spent the day at a friend’s homestead that was completely devastated in a neighborhood close to Bastrop State Park.

I spent time documenting the loss through photography and then got down on my hands and knees to sift through the ash to find anything that could perhaps be saved. As I collected fused glass, broken bits of pottery, melted dishware, scarred toys, and many other broken charred articles, thoughts of how the reassembly of these remnants might contribute to the reassembly of lives began to churn.

The next day I went through the ritual process of washing each item and placing them in categories on my studio floor. As this process unfolded I understood that it is important to display these pieces and for me to create a narrative of what was and what can be. Each piece of charred material became an object of interest transformed from its original form and recast through fire into ethereal object of haunting beauty.

The drawings depict both the draught and the aftermath of the fires. The artifacts are remnants of a personal loss. Disasters occur, memories live on, reformation begins, and art can be healing.

My intention is to donate 100 % of artist net sales of this work to Bastrop Fire Relief Funds.