ECHO OF SILENCE The power of the natural world, its intrinsic energy, and fundamental properties, is dependent upon a fine balance. The balance of positive and negative forces resides in the smallest particles that make up our universe to concepts we live with every day.
Listening
To the chaos
the conflict
of voices
within the air
Waiting
for the wind
to clear
the fog
in the trees
stilling
the earth
and ripples
in the water
an echo of silence
The five elements of earth, water, fire, air, and ether have been present in my work for over fifty years. The geography of mountains, forest and water is constantly being newly illuminated within series of extensive multimedia. My materials change with their juxtaposition to each other: beeswax, damar resin, oil and pigments, stones, collected threads, old books and cloth, wood and glass, lead sheet and wire, precious metals. This allows me flexibility, complexity, and congruity with an awareness of the universal sacred space. Within these bodies of work, simplicity comes with the commitment to the ritual of patterns and repetition, marking, erasing and renewal. There is always an allowance for exploration beyond the norm, with play being essential. Each work becomes an offering to new possibilities: a modern mandala born out of ancient traditions. The historical reverence for the power and sacredness of earth spans the timeline of our memory. We live in a chaotic world. It is difficult to feel a part of the whole. There exists the loss of control and balance: personally, politically, and spiritually. Hopefully we will continue to find ways to understand and bond, not only to our environment, but most importantly, to each other.
--Catherine Eaton Skinner
Santa Fe, New Mexico and Seattle, Washington
| 
