Loreen Matsushima
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Phylogeny: Seedling of Life
Mixed media, glow paint 2021 
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Phylogeny - “Seedling of Life” Alterations (such as habitat destruction, deforestation, or the environmental impact of climate change) are important themes in my work. I have imagined an installation based on the idea of how nature would evolve to survive deliberate or unintended consequences of climate change, and it intrigued me to create sculptures inspired by the poem, "Place", by W.S. Merwin. These sculptures would be ideal for this installation. Each piece is a long sinuous evolved plant form that grows out of a mound of debris—a pile of dead discarded logged tree debris. The plant forms are surreal and phantasmagorical and are mounted in the mound to give the appearance of a seedling just developed out of a plant embryo from a seed. So it is intended to be viewed as the birthing of a seedling. Each plant form is covered with glow paint which is illuminated in the dark and would be perfect be a great fit for the Wintertide – Light Art Experience. While the sculpture was not made technically with light, it uses illumination to take on a new form at night. During the day, its white and pastel coloration is as surreal and enigmatic in contrast with the natural environment. I want my artwork to appeal to a broad audience and I wanted the sculptures to be transformative and viewed in the daylight and in the dark of night. So the use of glow paint is translucent during the day, but changes its appearance at night. The plant forms aglow appear animated and surreal and a surprise that I believe would appeal will be to children and as well as adults as they stroll pass this installation in the daylight or at night.
Artist Bio
BFA, University of Hawaii; MFA Pratt Institute, New York. Recipient of several grants and awards including the Pollock-Krasner Foundation, Pratt Studio Award with a matching grant from the Ford Foundation, and the Honolulu Printmakers’ 50th Anniversary Exhibition Juror’s Award. Most recently she was selected to participate in the 2016 Public Art Boot Camp program sponsored by the Seattle Arts and Culture.
A professional artist for over 40 years, her work has been exhibited in many exhibitions: Crossings 1989 France/Hawaii, Mona Bismarck Foundation in Paris,France, Soho Center for Visual Artists, Contemporary Art Center of Hawaii, Nardin Galleries in New York City, LAARTCORE, and most recently in 2016, she was awarded a commission by the Seattle Arts and Culture Program to create a temporary piece that will be a part of the Seattle Center Art Walk in the fall. She lives and works in Port Angeles.
BFA, University of Hawaii; MFA Pratt Institute, New York. Recipient of several grants and awards including the Pollock-Krasner Foundation, Pratt Studio Award with a matching grant from the Ford Foundation, and the Honolulu Printmakers’ 50th Anniversary Exhibition Juror’s Award. Most recently she was selected to participate in the 2016 Public Art Boot Camp program sponsored by the Seattle Arts and Culture.
A professional artist for over 40 years, her work has been exhibited in many exhibitions: Crossings 1989 France/Hawaii, Mona Bismarck Foundation in Paris,France, Soho Center for Visual Artists, Contemporary Art Center of Hawaii, Nardin Galleries in New York City, LAARTCORE, and most recently in 2016, she was awarded a commission by the Seattle Arts and Culture Program to create a temporary piece that will be a part of the Seattle Center Art Walk in the fall. She lives and works in Port Angeles.
This artwork is one of 12 pieces in The Endurance of Change open-air exhibition. Click here to read the curator's statement and learn more about other works in this exhibition.