About the Artist
Stephanie Garon received dual science degrees from Cornell University, then attended Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA). Her environmental art has been exhibited internationally in London, Colombia, South Korea, as well as across the United States. Her writing, a critical aspect of her artistic process, has been published in international literary journals. Her poetry book, Acreage, was published by Akinoga Press in December 2021 and is available at Politics & Prose Bookstore. She is a Hamiltonian Gallery Fellow, a National Park Service Artist-in-Residence in the Everglades, and recipient of a Puffin Foundation Environmental Art grant.Artist's Statement
My artwork investigates humanity's interruption of nature. The juxtaposition of natural objects against industrial materials exposes dichotomies of formality/fragility and permanence/impermanence. The natural materials, sourced by hand locally, convey themes of claim, women’s labor, and time. As ecologically motivated interventions, the physical process of decomposition becomes evident as the artworks change over time and emphasize the vulnerability of nature. These abstracted expressions visualize an uneasy truce. A contemporary twist on the Arte Povera movement, my work addresses climate crisis politics, and mediates attention to the materials themselves. Extensive research, including scientific and cultural investigation, are integrated into each artwork. Whether the viewer witnesses the changing installation or navigates their movement around these sculptures, the contemplative space provokes individual ecological consciousness for how we, as people, interrupt the natural world around us.Featured Work
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Featured Work: Photos
Kilometer
cement mixed from melted snow
2020
Kilometer: cement mixed from melted snow
Water is means to survival. Around the globe, women are responsible for sourcing water to sustain communities. As the climate changes and access to water decreases, this sculpture quantifies the interconnectedness between humanity and the environment.
Prey
Steel, oak
2021
Brae
steel, cypress tree
2020
Gold Rush
Steel I-beams, 1000 lbs extracted mine cores from Maine/Passamaquoddy land, LED ticker sign 13'x10'x10'
2022
Videos
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Framed
Medium: steel, birchYear: 2019Details: 8'x4'x4' -
Silent Spring
Silent Spring, an immersive environmental installation, explores humanity’s connection to the environment through a journey that is both an expedition and a contemplation.
Rows of prehistoric-sized Princess Tree leaves (Paulownia tomentosa) frame an ethereal leaf labyrinth. These leaves, classified as an invasive species of weeds, are typically found in soils hurt by construction or fire and frequently located in pavement cracks or by powerlines at the road’s edge. They grow 15 feet/year until smothering the canopy. All leaves were sourced from the local region.
In Japan, it's customary to plant a Princess Tree when a girl is born. When she is eligible for marriage, the tree is cut down and carved for her dowry. Women and nature, around the world, are interconnected and tied to issues of claim, commodity, and climate change.Medium: 1000 Prince Tree leaves, steel cableYear: 2021Details: Site specific installation at Motor House Baltimore -
Hover
By presenting nontraditional materials, like a suspended cherry tree and its fallen cherries, within a gallery space, Hover captures the ideals of the Arte Povera movement. Surrounded by steel sculptures, the audience witnesses the decomposition of the natural elements juxtaposed against the industrial materials through the duration of the exhibit.Medium: Hover: steel, prunus cerasus tree, cherries, projectionYear: 2020Details: site specific installation at Alchemy of Art Gallery (Baltimore) -
Land Art (Aerial views)
A series of three pieces of land art was created at a section of the Patuxent River managed by a dam. When the dam reopens, the artwork will be submerged like many Mid-Atlantic prehistoric petrogyphs that were destroyed for hydroelectric projects. By exploring the interdependence between humanity and nature, this performance art and earthwork focus on impermanence.Medium: landYear: 2020Details: site specific