I want to compress time, to exist between the expanse of prehistory and the unruly future, to awaken themes of a shared world through laborious handicraft and experiential, auditory, visual, and performative means. My work entangles species through surreal anatomical play, addressing collective grief in the face of extinction. I mythologize biological systems through material exploration ranging from crochet, wet felting, and ceramics to wearable art and song. Drawing from my experience with chronic pain and healing, the physical form holds palpable purpose within the work, an infused emotional boundary between skin and air. I use vocalization and mimicry alongside my sculptural works, building up an underbelly of sonic depth. I want to remember what’s quietly disappearing, and to foster material relationships between the hard, soft, and the intangible.
lenaruthschwartz@gmail.com