White’s Exhibit Bridges Gap Between Nature and Art
by Ariel Whitworth

Nature is a dynamic and moving force. Displayed in Fisher Hall March 18-24, Elena White’s art project, entitled Grace: Rooted and Ascending, found a way to bridge the gap between nature and art. 
White displayed five pieces in a room strewn with leaves and branches, giving the feel of being outdoors, perhaps even in a forest. “My art is guided by my belief in the dynamic elegance of life,” read her information sheet.
The first piece was untitled, but included a large number of nests woven with ribbon, straw and wire, sitting on top of a swinging platform. 
Samaras, reminiscent of birds, hung from the top of the platform. Below it hung branches covered in pennies. The project was well-made, and used handicraft skills to convey her naturalistic theme.

(photo by Elena White)

Perhaps the most interesting piece was the central display entitled, “Swing Low: a lullaby.” A pathway of rocks and gravel led to a colorfully gaudy, painted house with fake gemstones and a shattered beer bottle outlining and off-setting the doorway. Outside the house was a laundry line, with white sheets hanging out to dry. When one entered the building there were colored ribbons hanging from the ceiling and children’s handprints on the walls. 
There was also, possibly unintentionally, a smell of tobacco, which added to the atmosphere. A loudspeaker blared inside, and different voices explained personal experiences, providing a dramatic effect. Home — though not always beautiful — was shown to be a place of hardship and triumph, providing a soft cushion of warmth so different from the outside world.

Another piece, entitled “Christina: my mother’s mother” involved blue glass ornaments hanging from a wooden picture frame. The bottom of the frame was draped with ornate lace and white candles. This piece provided a contrast from the others, which seemed to be rooted more in nature. White evoked strong visual imagery by displaying the possessions and surroundings of a family member. One of the most interesting parts of the piece was a section of the lace that had obviously been burned. Although pleasant, one got a feeling that the artistry and interpretation of the piece came mostly from the extravagant title.
“Libation for Kwaclwo Duah” involved a great number of colored bottlecaps hanging from trees. There was also a walking stick with bottle caps attached, to be used as a musical instrument, as well as scattered anvils, all sitting on top of a vibrant patchwork quilt. There seemed to be an unspoken emphasis on the idea that music does not have to be complex, but evolves from the most simple of origins. 
White’s piece in the back corridor of the room entitled “About my Mother,” was composed of plants in bare soil, topped by overhanging treelike structures. The contrast of greens and browns in this piece provided a wooded appearance. Buried beneath this “forest” were wooden boxes, that when opened, displayed small beads, nuts, pottery, glass bottles, stones or hanging seashells. Each of the boxes almost seemed like a present, allowing a new trait characteristic of the piece to be discovered. The piece was simple and not very technical, resembing a lot of recycled art that is usually interesting, but not outstanding.

Overall, the show was pleasant, earthy and unique. White’s pieces were very detailed and needed to be studied to get the full effect. Although vividly colored and expressive, a few of the pieces were so abstract that they became hard to understand, especially in relation to their titles. Many of the pieces left out clues that could have better informed the audience, causing the installation to lose some emotional and interpretational content.