This is the story of how a group of Botanical Artists came together to turn debris into beauty.
In 1996, while on a research trip to the American Southwest, artist Dorothy Hill was captivated by the natural beauty and wildness of this rugged landscape. In particular she loved how even amid the devastation caused by drought, forest fires and overgrazing one could find pockets along rivers where there were still trees and flowers growing in abundance.
"These were the last remaining remnants of what had been a magnificent forest," said Dorothy. "And we wanted to leave something here that would honor the people that tended these trees and flowers and the sheepherders and Native Americans who lived here before them."
The artists worked with the Friends of Nevada Wilderness to create sculptures of sheep herders; a small ramada, a campfire, cattle skulls and other objects directly from the earth. They used a special mix of volcanic gravel, river rock and straw that was found at the site. Each installation had elements that reflected aspects of life in this rugged environment – man, animals and nature.
In the spring of 1996, two of the sculptures were installed in this natural spot. One ramada was erected facing east towards a small canyon and the other facing west towards a small stream. Within weeks, a flock of wild turkeys began to come for water at dawn and dusk. The artist was inspired to make more paintings that drew upon nature's lessons in beauty, balance and simplicity.
Today, nearly 20 years later, Flowers In Purgatory is still part of Nevada's Wild West landscape – with only one major addition: an empty ramada. "Anchored by the strength of nature," said Dorothy, "It has stood as a testimony to what can happen when we join hands with nature. The time we spent in the middle of nowhere was a time of great spiritual reflection for all of us."
In 2000, Dorothy Hill and her fellow artists donated the installation to the Desert Research Institute. For more information on Flowers In Purgatory visit http://www.desertresearchinstitute.org/visit_shr/artistworkshops/flower
Dorothy is best known for her large-scale, outdoor sculptures and murals that inspire people to embrace the natural world. She received a BFA from the Art Institute of Chicago in Chicago, Illinois and her MFA at Arizona State University in Tempe, Arizona. She has exhibited her work in numerous solo and group exhibitions nationally and internationally, including the Heard Museum's "Landscapes of the American West".
She currently lives in Prescott, Arizona with her husband. Her studio is located at the Bigelow Ranch Center of Education. She has been featured on several PBS documentaries including "Journey to Indigenous Wisdom", "Visions on the Land" and "HENDA: Painted Desert Home". Her work can be viewed online at http://www.doremihill.net/
Daria Chin-Behrman is a San Francisco Bay Area artist who has explored the inner world of her art, as well as the contradictions in our relationships with nature and society. Her works are influenced by the cultures of Asia and other parts of the world. She was born in Hong Kong but grew up in Prague, Czech Republic. In 1989 she moved to San Francisco where she studied fine arts. Her work has been exhibited around the world including Mexico, Chile and China. She has also worked with over 200 artists on large collaborative projects.
Chin-Behrman went to high school with two artists who were part of a band called "The Residents". She began a collaborative art project with them. Collaborative art is where one artist creates an initial idea, then a team of other artists adds to it. This process can be repeated more than once. The final artwork is different than what the initial artist might have created on their own.
She has worked with other collaborators such as Bruce Conkle and Charlemagne Palestine. In 1986, she traveled to Japan, where she created monumental performances that were funded by the Japanese government. She helped orphan children make tattoos using natural dyes and henna ink. When they finished the tattoos, they received backpacks and new clothes. The next day they departed for new homes in Japan's foster care system.
Her art has been featured in the San Francisco Chronicle, the San Francisco Examiner and the San Jose Mercury News. She recently partnered with the world's largest live-action role-playing game (LARP) corporation, MegaCon, to create a series of paintings and sculptures inspired by LARPing. The painting were based on "The Lord of the Rings" LARPing group players.
In 2006 she was awarded a biennial at the New Zealand National Academy of Fine Arts. In 2007 she was awarded an artistic residency at a center for people with severe autism and developmental disabilities located in Paris.
Chin-Behrman currently lives in Oakland, California with her husband and two children. She has taught extensively, lectured at universities and art institutes, including the University of California, Berkeley. As part of her training as an artist-in-residence at the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis in 1998, she took classes from Mimi Koyama (artist), Richard Artschwager (artist), Nancy Holt (Art historian) and others.
Her works can be viewed online at http://www.darinachinbehraman.com/
Lisa Hennigan is an American artist based in San Francisco, California. She has a BFA from Cornell University and received her MFA from California College of the Arts in San Francisco in 1998. She has had numerous solo and group exhibitions throughout the United States, including at the New Mexico Museum of Art in Santa Fe, New Mexico; the Nevada Museum of Art in Reno, Nevada; and the Zolla/Lieberman Gallery in Chicago, Illinois.
The painting she created for this project is part of a series that explores societies attitudes towards nature.
She is currently working on studio projects that examine sustainability and its relationship to socioeconomic factors. Her work can be seen online at http://www.lisahennigan.com/
Steve Martorano is a sculptor born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to Italian immigrants who were freight train brakemen for their entire careers with Southern Pacific Railroad. After studying industrial design at Penn State University, he began a career as a freelance illustrator and later as a professional fine artist.
In 1990 he was invited to participate in an exhibition commemorating the 500th anniversary of Columbus' discovery of the Americas. Steve's sculpture and paintings were exhibited at the Vatican in Rome and also in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
Steve's work has been featured in ArtNews (magazine), The New York Times (newspaper), American Craft Magazine, Corel Professional Photos CD-ROMs, and various books on sculpture. His work can be viewed online at http://www.stevemartorano.com/
Dorothy Simms is a San Francisco Bay Area-based sculptor and installation artist who works in bronze.
Her work has been exhibited around the world, including Mexico, France, Spain and the United States. She has been the recipient of numerous awards including a National Endowment for the Arts Fellowship and an Academy Award in Fine Arts award presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. She also co-founded Valley Renaissance Artisans, an arts nonprofit that teaches art to adults with developmental disabilities.
Simms currently lives in Sausalito, California with her husband, Fredric Gummer. Her studio is located at The Bigelow Ranch Center of Education near Prescott, Arizona.
Her work can be viewed online at http://www.dorothy-simms.com/
Lloyd Bullock is an American artist and illustrator from San Francisco, California who works in a variety of media including painting, printmaking, sculpture, photography and film. He was among the first to use a computer for art purposes. His works are often based on personal experiences with people he has known or observed in his travels around the world or through his artwork seen in popular culture such as the Art Deco movement.
Bullocks work can be viewed online at http://www.lloydbullock.com/
Dawn Johnsen is a sculptor and installation artist whose work often explores themes related to the human experience. She received her BFA from the University of California, Davis and her MFA from California College of the Arts in San Francisco. She began her career working as a printmaker, exhibiting in galleries throughout the United States. Her first solo exhibition "The Dumbbell" opened at The Eyebeam Art & Technology Center, New York in 1994.
Her studio is located at The Bigelow Ranch Center of Education near Prescott, Arizona. Her work can be viewed online at http://www.dawnjohnsenarts.com/
Anthony Hernandez is a California-based artist who was born in Houston, Texas. He has a BFA from Rhode Island School of Design and an MFA from California College of the Arts. His work has been exhibited in galleries around the world, including Florence, Italy; Oakland and San Francisco, California; New York City and Tampa, Florida. He has won numerous awards such as an award for excellence in drawing from the National Endowment for the Arts presented by First Lady Hillary Clinton at the White House in 1995.
Hernandez's studio is located on Treasure Island near San Francisco; his public artworks are located across Northern California and Texas.