Surface Tension
Through an ecofeminist lens, Surface Tension explores the intertwined exploitation of Utah’s landscapes and the female body, both historically treated as territories to conquer. These patterns of domination, rooted in patriarchal and capitalist systems, prioritize control and extraction over care and preservation. The work critiques Utah’s historical, cultural, and legislative choices, which have fueled environmental degradation and systemic oppression.
The miniature topographical female-presenting nipple—exposed, suspended at eye level, and confronting the viewer. Vulnerable yet bold and poignant, its form invites reflection on complicity in these dynamics. Sculpted onto recycled cotton fabric and pigmented with clay gathered from over thirty locations across Utah, these forms connect the intersectional bodies they represent to the landscapes they inhabit. The clay’s varied tones evoke the richness and resilience of Utah’s terrain while amplifying voices often silenced. By merging the body with the environment, Surface Tension challenges viewers to confront the enduring systems of power that shape both. It calls for a collective reckoning, urging an awareness of the fragile power structures that bind us to the land and to one another and inviting action toward healing and change.
