ruth wallen
Ruth Wallen is an ecological and community based artist. Initially trained in environmental science (biology and anthropology), she turned to art to address the heart as well as the mind, ask questions outside of disciplinary boundaries, and help shape the values that inform community planning and development. She works on a variety of media on many scales, from intimate artist books and performative lectures, to large installations, web sites and public projects. Her work is based on extensive research, careful listening, and paying close attention to the local environment. She combines photographic imagery, text and more to create potent metaphor, compelling narratives, and opportunities for dialogue.
Her multilayered installations and performances have been exhibited in solo exhibitions at Franklin Furnace, New Langton Arts, the Exploratorium, CEPA, Sushi Gallery, the Athenaeum and more. She has published critical essays on ecological art, and race and gender in visual culture. Ruth has been represented in numerous national and international group exhibitions ranging from Virgin Territory, at the Long Beach Museum of Art, to Weather Report: Art and Climate Change, curated by Lucy Lippard for the Boulder Museum of Contemporary Art. Public installations include interactive "nature walks" at Carmel Mountain, the San Bernardino Children's Forest, and Tijuana River Estuary. Web projects range from The Sea As Sculptress for the Exploratorium to her current work on the local impacts of climate change, Listen to the Trees, created in collaboration with scientists at Scripps Institute for Oceanography. |
Ruth's gallery
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