Lauren Shapiro, “Crystal Coral Lamp Pair,” 2023. Glazed porcelain and stoneware, LED, 14K gold, 22 x 11 x 11 in. Image courtesy of the artist.
Contaminated waterways, fires that rage in seemingly unburnable places, trees felled by unthinking hands — climate change is a constant barrage, threatening to smother us from all sides. Yet, art is uniquely positioned to magnify and contextualize realities that are hard to face, allowing for expanded understanding of the present situation, as well as imagined improved futures. “Materialize: Visualizing Climate Change” at Belger Crane Yard Studios brings together the work of six contemporary artists who each use their artistic craft to explore aspects of shifting ecologies. Though the sculptures, weavings, ceramics, blown glass and mixed media works are all abstract, each deftly opens a window on one or more aspects of the multilayered issue of climate change.
Caroline Landau’s “Prometheus,” a blown clear glass sculpture, resembles a glacial chunk, broken off of its base. However, it is actually from a mold of the world’s oldest tree of the same name. The Great Basin bristlecone pine stood in what is now Nevada for over 5,000 years before it was accidentally cut down by a researcher, illustrating the major effects of minor actions.
Lauren Shapiro’s “Crystal Coral Lamp Pair” reflects both oceanic nature and classical ceramic techniques. Pastel-colored, circular geological formations spiral against jutting crystals, showing that nature is the best inspiration for what humans use to beautify and decorate. Shapiro’s artist statement explains, “Inspired by my excursions on land and underwater, I aspire to connect others to a future where ecosystems thrive, emphasizing our profound need for a connection to the natural world.”
Along the lines of imagined futures, Steve Gurysh utilizes old Honda floor mats and Mars Global Stimulant, a material that mimics the soil on Mars, to form otherworldly sculptures. The overall effect is surreal — as if the dustings of a new planet are sprouting from the discarded remnants of our current one.
Six laser-etched graphite drawings from Marie McInerney show ecological disturbances from landslides and fires. The etchings stand out from the thin lines of horizontal or vertical graphite to form a map with blotches and divots that are scarred with evidence of destruction. Three of the pieces are named after islands that existed on early maps but have since disappeared. The other three are named after islands that are currently under threat of being drowned due to climate change, underscoring the stark reality that what we know of geography is subject to change as our planet changes.
Tali Weinberg weaves organic cotton with plastic to form the spinning tendrils of a tree root system or the fine arteries that pump blood to and from our lungs in “Black Lung/White Lung.” The disparate materials of natural versus petrochemical illustrate how thoroughly plastic waste has entered our ecosystems and bodies.
“Peat Quilt 1” from Anne Yoncha is both visually striking and a technical feat. She has sonified data from peat soil in a wall-length quilt of handmade paper. Viewers are invited to press a foot pedal to listen to the soil. Yoncha explains in her artist statement, “An antiphonal choral performance allows us to hear differences in soil health and water content in two facing plots of extracted and restored peatland.”
“Materialize: Visualizing Climate Change” is much like nature itself. At a glance, striking and stark; in some moments breathtakingly mysterious and in others sickly and unsettling. However, beneath the surface are deeper implications to be explored by questioning the name of a piece, materials used, methodologies of creation and artist statements. The work is not merely visually appealing, but also deeply meaningful. Climate change is unique in its ability to impact the entire globe, yet it takes a particular strength to dedicate one’s work to visualizing it.
“Materialize: Visualizing Climate Change” continues at Belger Crane Yard Studios, 2011 Tracy Ave., through May. 3. Hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday – Friday (open to 8 p.m. First Friday of every month) and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday. For more information, 816.474.7316 or belgerarts.org/materialize-visualizing-climate-change.
