A Meditation on Nature in the Absence of an Eclipse

A Meditation on Nature in the Absence of an Eclipse is a poetic glimpse into the ways centuries of extraction, racism, pollution, and nature's commodification have altered our relationship to sacred land, water, and resources. A constellation of intersecting histories and source material include testimony from a Water Protector at Standing Rock protesting the Dakota Access Pipeline, contaminated water in Flint Michigan, and original footage of Hierve el Agua near Oaxaca, Mexico, a rock formation revered for its healing properties. Interspersed are archival images of gardens, hands of artists and children brushing their teeth—a reflection on the innocuous ways in which contaminated water and resources shape the banal rituals of individuals' lives. A watermark on the image extends the water spill, branding testimony and blocking access, ultimately deciding who will control critical narratives of environmental racism and discourse. 

Originally commissioned by Wave Hill Public Garden & Cultural Center, the work was made in 2017 and reedited in 2020.