Gina Herrera
Subliminal Moment
50†x 42†X 11â€
Assorted Found Materials
2015
A twisting conduit of reclaimed garbage turns back on itself, suggesting self-exploration and questioning.
Rain Dancer
75†x 33†X 11â€
Assorted Found Materials
2015
An angular complicated medley of salvaged detritus reaches for the sky, culminating in a curving branch
that evokes animal horns and divining rods.
Tree Whisperer
79†x 28†X 29â€
Assorted Found Materials
2015
A melange of found trash creates a wispy emulation of a tree’s structure, grafted asymmetrically onto a base of branches and organic hive-like structures.
Unveiling the Truth
73†x 22†X 25â€
Assorted Found Materials
2015
A balletic composition of natural materials and abandoned litter take on a lithe spirit-like form; a circular limb extends in an embrace.
Matrimony
65†x 25†X 18â€
Assorted Found Materials
2015
Emerging like smoke from an intestinal base made ofnatural materials, an assemblage of reprocessed garbage evokes a shaman performing a sacred ceremony, a gangly conjurer summoning magic.
Bestower of Light
66†x 18†x 13â€
Assorted Found Materials
2015
A primitive figure constructed of sticks yields a curving current of vibrant rescued debris, rising and falling gracefully.
Life of the Party
68†x 30†X 22â€
Assorted Found Materials
2015
Atop a three-legged construction of natural materials, a careening stream of discarded trash frolics without
restraint, a climax of plastic strips conjures the pop of a champagne cork.
While my heritage incorporates the Tesuque Pueblo and Costa Rica, my strongest affinity is to nature. While serving in Iraq, amid the devastation of combat, my visceral reaction to miles of mountainous trash heaps, the evidence of systematic yet unconscious destruction of our planet led me to question my own practices. I began to build assemblages out of discarded and natural objects. I am engaged in an aesthetic and spiritual ritual to channel and honor Mother Earth.
I constantly gather materials, finding inspiration in my surroundings. Like a scavenger, I play an interventional role in removing garbage from the landscape, preventing further damage. I am also drawn to natural materials and organic forms. My process is meditative and intuitive. Figures emerge, in gravity defying poses on the brink of movement, alive with possibility. Their haunting spiritual presence reminds us they have not gone back to the earth, but asks us to question the choices we make in our daily existence.