Cotton, Cotton Batting, Thread Lace, Cotton Cord, Wood, Rusted Steel Hardware

This artwork was made in response to a unique collaborative Wildfire and Water themed Art and Science Residency I participated in at Playa Summer Lake in October 2023. Nine artists were awarded residencies and during the 10-day period we met with scientists, policy makers, and ranchers. We made site visits to areas in the Chewaukan River/Lake Abert watershed impacted by major wildfires and water diversions.

During the residency, I was drawn to the fragility of the Chewaucan River watershed and Lake Abert Basin. Our explorations of the burn areas of six large wildfires revealed a range of impacts: from healthy forest regeneration in low intensity burn areas to complete devastation from high intensity burns. Learning that over 75% of the upper Chewaucan River watershed has burned since 2016 was overwhelming. We also explored how water diversions for sustaining ranching operations and drought reduce the flow of the Chewaucan River which in turn, impacts Lake Abert. As the only hypersaline lake in Oregon and a crucial stopover for migratory birds on the Pacific Flyway it relies on the Chewaucan River as its primary source of water.

I made this artwork to convey how the Lake Abert watershed basin is under stress from a complicated interweaving of water diversions, climate change induced drought and wildfires, and how the health of the watershed, and the people, animals and plants who live in it are all interconnected.

The quilted fabric is a map-like representation of the Lake Abert basin. The Chewaucan River is stitched with blue thread. Lake Abert and the burn areas in the upper watershed have been cut out of the fabric and replaced by fragile handmade thread lace. The black lace represents high intensity burns and gray lace represents low intensity burns. Using the same technique as stretching a cowhide for tanning, the fabric is lashed to the frame.