“This frac sand issue is big in Wisconsin and there are two refineries near me," says Teri Power. "Sand falls off trucks and train cars as they transport the sand to use for mining natural gas out East. The dust from the silica sand is dangerous to breathe, because of its fine particles, which can clog the lungs and cause lung damage and cancer, so I’m careful when I gather it.” The artist's work appears in Wild Pigment Project, a group exhibition that's on view at form & concept through early December.
The international show (and the project that inspired it) promotes ecological balance and regenerative economies through a passion for wild pigments, their places of origin, and their cultural histories. Read an interview between Wild Pigment Project curator Tilke Elkins and Power here, and check out more words from the artist below.
ARTIST STATEMENT
OVERREACH…reaching too far… taking too much. Frac sand…oil…gas…are we entitled? We take from the earth with disregard to the outcomes and health of the earth and its inhabitants changing landscapes. We need and do not give back. This creed has created the imbalance in the earth that we are desperately trying to rectify. Or at the very least abate.