Marie Negaard
So often in my life, I have found myself in the position of the mediator, this outlook on specifically human centric situations, subjects, and content I deal with has been reflected in my artwork. My artwork is strongly tied to the compulsion to understand the ins and outs of relationships from every angle and perspective. As of the past year, my material choices have shifted to sustainable sculpture materials, and that shift has influenced my focus to our relationship with the natural world. When it comes to the environment, humans take an egoist approach, treating it as something other than us that is there for our benefit. I am of the opinion that every organism is a part of a greater whole; those human beings are not the center of everything but rather, players in something greater. Through my artwork, I try to mediate that relationship so that we may no longer have this approach of confrontation and manipulation, but instead live and collaborate harmoniously with the natural world. Highlighting natural phenomena, how they function and what they contribute to our environment in an ecological sense, centers my work on capturing and communicating the wonder in what is often over-looked. In doing this, I hope to appeal to the possibility that humanity can cohabitate this earth in a manner that is mutually beneficial to us and the environment.