Turn the World Around, 2024
Ever since the pandemic, I have been leading international woodcut critique groups on Zoom. This sculptural print grew out of a collaborative prompt from one of those groups. Our motivation was to explore the theme of the Four Elements, and to address the climate crisis. The title is from the Harry Belafonte song, “Turn the World Around.”
Each of the three dimensional blocks represents one of the elements: water, fire, earth and air. On each side of the four main blocks, there is: a representation of an inhabitant of that element, a human figure, an image representing the earth, and the alchemy symbol of each element.
Be A Ladder
Art in the Orchard, 2021
Artists: BZ Reily, Julie Lapping Rivera, Diane Travis
Inspired by Rumi’s poem:
Be a lamp
Or a lifeboat
Or a ladder
Help someone’s soul heal
Walk out of your house
Like a shepherd
The three of us met as art educators 20 years ago. We recognized in one another a deep commitment to both teaching and art making. We’ve been supporting one another artistically and collaborating ever since. Though our work is very different visually, we share a belief in the power of art to heal the world, and in making art accessible to everyone.
In Be a Ladder, we engaged in a truly collaborative process, deciding on the themes we would address and making all decisions together about colors, placement of objects, engineering, and content. Each of us brought our unique skills to the project - BZ as a found object artist, Diane as a fiber and installation artist, and Julie as a collage artist and printmaker. The process of collaboration is a little like dancing - you have to respond to the other person with grace and attention. As the process unfolded, we found our rhythm and the ability to truly “play” together. Our musician friends call us “The Art Band” because that is exactly what musicians do!
After many months of working on the ladders indoors, when we brought the project out to the orchard to install, we were delighted to see them come to life in the landscape. They feel like a quirky, happy family to us, each ladder with its own personality!
We hope Be A Ladder will inspire you to go make art, and do good work in your life - don’t build walls - build ladders!
The Collaborators, 2018
Life size sculptural print including woodcut, monoprint, letterpress, gel plates, wood, found objects
Made in collaboration with BZ Reily
HELLO
Two ceramic mosaic "HELLO" murals which greet visitors to WIldwood Elementary School. In Amherst, Massachusetts. They were made in collaboration with fifth and sixth graders at Wildwood School in 2018. and represent the 32 languages spoken in the Amherst school district.
