In the Dirt

In the Dirt is a 6-week duet exhibition by Grace Foxen (ceramics) and myself (photography). Together, we created the concept, branded the exhibit and opening event, and made the artwork. The exhibit visually explores the concept of preservation and its relationship to our natural environment.

“IN THE DIRT is an exploration of the desire to preserve. At the start of a summer-long trip out West, Maine-based artists Danny Gugger and Grace Foxen stumbled upon a flattened cowboy boot stuck to the road off I-40 in Amarillo, TX. Unable to leave it behind, Grace peeled it off the pavement, and Danny carefully mounted and framed it. Together, they began collecting lost or discarded objects and thinking critically about the desire to keep the things they love forever. Using ceramics (dirt), Grace began creating physical imprints of the objects she found on the ground. In making the haphazard permanent, she draws attention to the authority modern humans feel over the planet—how making our mark impacts the earth. Through the camera lens, Danny documents (his own form of preservation) vast landscapes contrasted with moments of human interruption. His work also highlights the ways in which the earth preserves itself geologically and our own attempts to preserve the memory of our existence long after we expire.”