Art can literally breathe! Liz Larner, a contemporary California artist, reflects on her works including Every Artist Took a Breath. This piece, created in 1988, was made with the breaths of artists from around the world on petri dishes and has undergone strange transformations in an exhibition in 2022. Some bacteria have turned into beautiful sheets of dryness while others have taken on a mysterious dark green and black hue.
From Hair to Plastic: Liz Larner's New Discoveries
Liz Larner has never been afraid to use bizarre materials to create her works. From human hair and false eyelashes to leather and surgical gauze, she skillfully incorporates these materials. In her new exhibition at the Camden Arts Centre in London titled A Hard Line to Bend, she has transformed single-use plastics into artworks that appear both captivating and threatening.
She was particularly influenced by China's halt on accepting American plastics and decided to collect these materials in her studio. She says, "There was so much plastic that I had to hang it from the ceiling." This approach not only helps preserve the environment but also serves as a critique of consumer culture and waste in modern society.
Breathing in the Modern World
Liz Larner's works reflect a deep attitude towards today's world and environmental crises. By using breath as an artistic medium, she reminds us that art can emerge from any aspect of life, even from breathing. In this era of rapid technological expansion, Larner invites us to simply breathe while also contemplating the consequences of it.
