All that you touch: art and ecology

Nicole Dixon, The Axe Forgets But The Tree Re-members, acrylic, charcoal, wood, fabric, chalk pastel, and gold leaf on canvas, 36” x 36”, 2021

Sept. 7-Nov. 7, 2021

Byron Au Yong, Nicole Dixon, Katie Dorame, Alicia Escott, Felicitas Fischer, Barnali Ghosh, Conni McKenzie, Jaime Serra dos Santos, Linda Yamane, and Minoosh Zomorodinia

All that you touch: art and ecology presents artists whose creative practices are informed by their personal encounters with the natural world.

Using whiteroot sedge and willow, Linda Yamane’s traditional Ohlone baskets reveal the inextricable link between culture and place. Katie Dorame’s collage prints indigenize iconographic Los Angeles landscapes with layered images of abalone and acorns. The meditations of California wildflowers in Alicia Escott’s installations and Barnali Ghosh’s South Asian fabric and dance-infused mirrored portraits further explore the tensions between native and invasive, organic and human-made. Nicole Dixon’s mixed-media paintings use natural elements, such as wood and gold, to reflect the cultural and spiritual qualities of her figures in order to lift up Black wisdom, while Minoosh Zomorodinia’s paintings use gold leaf to map her walks through urban landscapes. The compositional sketches by Byron Au Yong and the dance film co-created by Felicitas Fischer, Conni McKenzie, and Jaime Serra dos Santos serve as lamentations for nature devastated by climate change and geopolitical factors.

Working across the disciplines, these artists ask what can nature teach us about adaptation, regeneration, and healing? What can nature teach us about ourselves?

The exhibition will include a series of online conversations with the artists, tours, and additional events.

Byron Au Yong
Forest Requiem Sketch
Including:

Sheet Music
2021

Sculpture Scores
2021
Found paper: rice cooker manual, yellow pad, Bloomberg Businessweek, Money Magazine, Chinese church pamphlet, calendar page, envelope

Hugging Trees
2020
Digital photograph

Burnt Circle
2020
Digital photograph

Forest Requiem Sketch
2021
Digital video, 2 minutes 29 seconds

Nicole Dixon
The Snake And The Raffia Tree
2018
Acrylic, charcoal, watercolor, and gold leaf on canvas

Nicole Dixon
The Secret of Joy
2021
Acrylic, charcoal, wood, watercolor, fabric, and gold leaf on canvas

Nicole Dixon
The Axe Forgets But The Tree Re-members
2021
Acrylic, charcoal, wood, fabric, watercolor, pen, chalk pastel, and gold leaf on canvas

Nicole Dixon
Stardust Permutation
2021
Acrylic, charcoal, wood, fabric, watercolor, and gold leaf on canvas

Nicole Dixon
When You Climb a Good Tree, You Are Given a Push
2021
Acrylic, charcoal, watercolor, and gold leaf on canvas

Katie Dorame
Grinding Acorns Over You
2019
Inkjet print: digitized collage
(Commissioned by SF MOMA’s Open Space)

Katie Dorame
Abalone, the Rock & Standing
2019
Inkjet print: digitized collage
(Commissioned by SF MOMA’s Open Space)

Katie Dorame
Catalina Arrowhead
2020
Inkjet print: digitized collage and watercolor painting

Katie Dorame
Deep Dive
2020
Inkjet print: digitized collage and watercolor painting

Katie Dorame
Abalone Over LA
2020
Inkjet print: digitized collage and watercolor painting

Katie Dorame
LA Overseer
2020
Inkjet print: digitized collage and watercolor painting

Katie Dorame
Hovering Basket
2020
Inkjet print: digitized collage and watercolor painting

Katie Dorame
Freefall
2020
Inkjet print: digitized collage and watercolor painting

Katie Dorame
Abalone in the Pool
2020
Inkjet print: digitized collage and watercolor painting

Katie Dorame
Fishing
2020
Inkjet print: digitized collage and watercolor painting

Alicia Escott
Disarticulated Production
2021
Handmade drawings on found industrial plastic shrink wrap used for construction and renovation of buildings melted to rejoin, burnt Apple phone charge, burnt pvc pipe found at the sight of a Sonoma wildfire, ibuds, Live Oak acorns, burnt electronics, used ipods, video, redwood and live oak branches

Alicia Escott
The Archive to Come: a letter to covid19 in a seed
2020-2021
Digital video, 3 minutes 58 seconds
Wildflower seeds, local compost, found plastic packaging for rugs
(Part of Metabolic Rifts and Domestic Interiors, a series of ongoing collaborations with local native wildflower seeds.)

Felicitas Fischer, Conni McKenzie, and Jaime Serra dos Santos
Lungs of the Earth
2021
Dance film, 8 minutes 22 seconds (loop)

Barnali Ghosh
Bleeding Heart...it's a Feeling
2021
Digital photograph and journal entry
June 11: I saw them unexpectedly at Tilden Regional Park Botanic Garden. The native bleeding heart, Dicentra formosa, is more subtle than their more known counterpart, Dicentra spectabilis. The way they hang makes me feel as if they are at peace with the world, as if they feel safe. A feeling that we all long for. This sari was a gift to my mom-in-law from her father, and I love its retro style. The paisley motifs look to me like bleeding hearts multiplied.

Barnali Ghosh
Delicate Pink Delight
2021
Digital photograph and journal entry
June 9: I've been waiting for the roses to bloom up here and keeping my eyes peeled for a native rose. I had no luck on the streets I walk on, but thanks to friends I finally found them at the Tilden Regional Park Botanic Garden. The photo captures my delight at seeing this blushing messy delicate beauty. The mudra/hand gesture is used to show flowers blooming.

Barnali Ghosh
This fairy has secrets
2021
Digital photograph and journal entry
June 24: This mudra is called Samputa, and is found in both Odissi and Bharatanatyam dance. It indicates both treasures held carefully, and the holding of secrets. This re-creation would have gone more smoothly if they made clothes with plant prints, like they do with animal prints. How come this isn’t a thing?!
(Photograph of the fairy slipper orchid in Butano State Park, San Mateo is by Amy Patten.)

Barnali Ghosh
Happy Poppy
2021
Digital photograph and journal entry
April 15: Celebrating getting my first vaccine dose yesterday by embodying the beloved California poppy, our state flower.

Barnali Ghosh
For the love of the colors of lupin!
2021
Digital photograph and journal entry
April 20: There’s a little patch of wildflowers in a parking lot near my home with poppies and lupin. I went out and took some photos this morning, and for the first time noticed the pink. My lupin is a little less shy about showing off its colors.

Barnali Ghosh
Wild Iris
2021
Digital photograph and journal entry
April 21: I’ve been in a purple phase! And could not move on without re-creating Iris douglasiana, purple with a touch of gold. The saree is a cotton from South India, and the black and white patterned fabric is a raw silk with kantha embroidery from Bengal.

Barnali Ghosh
Making Eyes at Baby Blue Eyes.
2021
Digital photograph and journal entry
April 22: These were found a few blocks from home while walking with friends. We marveled at the pretty blue petals and the pure white centers. I thought I might do an "earthier" color but our planet is mostly water, and water is life, so blue feels appropriate. Happy Earth Day!

Barnali Ghosh
Paean to the California Peony / Every Day is Earth Day
2021
Digital photograph and journal entry
April 23: I was immediately drawn to the rich deep color of the California peony. The pose is inspired by the bhumi pranam that we do in Odissi dance right before we start a dance performance or practice, asking forgiveness from the Earth for stomping on it. I’m not a religious person, but I still find this ritual grounding, thoughtful, and love the intention of it. It’s a lesson I could use every day.
(Peony photograph: Teddy Llovet • CC-BY 2.0 • flic.kr/p/4x56a9)

Barnali Ghosh
What’s for Brunch?
2021
Digital photograph and journal entry
April 24: The Matilija poppy/Fried egg flower reminds me most of a dancer. This photo was taken on the nightly walks I took during the early days of the pandemic. I love the specks of gold/pollen on the petals, and have tried to evoke that here with the fabric choices. And sometimes dancers sit. This pose is inspired by Odissi, and also Kathak, another South Asian dance form.

Barnali Ghosh
Rare Beauty
2021
Digital photograph and journal entry
May 14: I'm thrilled that I got to use one of my most favorite shawls for the re-creation of this striking flower, and wearing it will now always remind me of it. (Photograph of the endangered Springville clarkia (endemic to Kern & Tulare counties) is by Amy Patten.)

Barnali Ghosh
Drumming fairies
2021
Digital photograph and journal entry
May 19: The white globe lily presents a still look, but I think these fairy lanterns dance and drum when we are not looking. The sari is the first one I ever bought for myself, back when I thought I liked subtle colors. It will always be special, but the color is not something I reach for often. The dancing drummer pose is inspired by Odissi dance.
(Photograph of the white globe lily was taken in the Ventana Wilderness by Amy Patten.)

Barnali Ghosh
Fuzzy beauty
2021
Digital photograph and journal entry
July 17: Who knew flowers could be so hairy!
This flower is found only on one mountaintop in Marin.
(Photograph of the Tiburon Mariposa Lily is by Amy Patten.)

Linda Yamane
Tiprin Tuupen (Basketry Ear Ornaments)
2017
Basket Disks: Three-rod willow foundation, whiteroot sedge weaving strands, and redwing blackbird/acorn woodpecker/ meadowlark feathers
Neck: Brain-tanned deer hide, mallard duck scalp, dogbane hemp cordage Bone Tubes: Incised bird bone rubbed with pulverized wood charcoal from Soberanes fire in Carmel Valley, and filled with willow sticks
Ornamentation: Abalone disk beads, abalone pendants, clam disk beads, olivella disk beads, glass trade beads

Linda Yamane
Ohlone Honoring Basket
2012
Three-rod willow foundation, whiteroot sedge weaving strands, olivella shell disk beads, and red-dyed chicken feathers (to simulate Acorn Woodpecker feathers used in the past), abalone pendants

Linda Yamane
Old-Style Ohlone Necklace
2019
Clam shell disk beads, abalone pendants, glass trade beads

Linda Yamane
Pechump Tiprin (Bottomless Hopper Basket)
2015
Willow foundation rods, whiteroot sedge weaving strands, bracken fern weaving strands for dark pattern, creek dogwood rim stick, tar at lower rim

Bundled materials in Linda Yamane’s case included: Sandbar Willow (Salix Exigua), straight shoots (peeled) and Whiteroot Sedge Carex barbarae rhizomes (peeled)

Minoosh Zomorodinia
08/29/2018 16:29 0.45mi, 23’53.9 53’03/mi Headlands, CA
2020
Acrylic and gold leaf on paper

Minoosh Zomorodinia
06/16/2018 12:48 59’28:3 0.54 mi, Felicita County Park, CA
2020
Acrylic and gold leaf on paper

Minoosh Zomorodinia
5/08/2018, 16:23, 0.31mi, 27'38.7, 90'20/mi
2020
Acrylic and gold leaf on paper

Minoosh Zomorodinia
2/25/2020, 11:44, 1.18 mi, 1:41’45, 85’53/mi
2020
Acrylic on MDF board

Minoosh Zomorodinia
2/18/2020, 11:36, 1.70 mi, 1:42’35, 60’16/mi, Recology SF, CA
2020
Acrylic on MDF board

Minoosh Zomorodinia
2/28/2020, 10:46, 1.67 mi., 2:06’48, 76’03/mi
2020
Acrylic on MDF board

Minoosh Zomorodinia
01/04/2018 00:20 0.44mi, 32'14.6 73'43/mi, Kashan, Iran
2020
Acrylic and gold leaf on paper

Minoosh Zomorodinia
01/03/2018 03:25 0.51mi, 14'58.9 29'20/mi, Kashan, Iran
2020
Acrylic and gold leaf on paper

Minoosh Zomorodinia
01/04/2018, 03:43 1.50mi, 1:13'59 49'29/mi, Kashan, Iran
2020
Acrylic and gold leaf on paper

Minoosh Zomorodinia
12/26/2018, 04:58 0.69 mi, 1:03’05, 91’16/mi
2020
Acrylic on MDF board

Minoosh Zomorodinia
12/24/2018, 00:43, 0/17 mi, 09’22.2, 55’50/mi, Hormuz Island, Iran
2020
Acrylic on MDF board

Minoosh Zomorodinia
My Ziggurat
2021
Birch wood, MDF, gold leaf, acrylic, wood glue, and digital print on sand