Barbara Roux
- Photo of the artist's ephemeral bird of flowers
- Photo of artist holding her evidence bag of elements from a site of a habitat event.
- Photo of artist holding house shaped mirror reflecting fragile habitat "household".
As an artist dealing with issues of ecology, I am a hybrid. My installation projects are influenced by my conservation projects to protect habitats and record incidents in natural history and habitat destruction. My conservation efforts stem from my respect and fascination for the natural world.
The work I do is inspired by the many years I have spent in wilderness places as well as my study of topics in natural history and an M. F.A. in contemporary art. My father was a pharmacologist who did research for many years with plants and animals in the Amazon Delta of Brazil. His work had a great impact on me. I also worked in wilderness areas as a botanist’s intern before college. Now I live on the verge of a wild ecosystem under stress.
It is my belief that the environment of the forest, meadow, seashore and wetland are a powerful and little appreciated resource to understanding our human world. Like all structured communities, the wilderness is in a search for survival. It is my hope, that through my installation work that engages natural elements from wild areas, my poetry and my site photographs, people will discover and respect the intelligence and value that is inherent in wild places. From interest, I envision a desire to protect must follow.