Naomi Fisher (b. 1976, Miami, Florida) drives at the tensions between nature and capitalist dynamics via feminist theories and strategies based on surrealist art. A galvanized steel sculpture created specifically for this public space, her
Thermodynamic Flower invites participation. Solar thermal glass tubes arranged in a sunburst formation collect heat, which is then transferred to a flower shape painted with temperature sensitive paint. The sculpture transforms from black to red, illustrating metaphorically the sun’s psychological and emotional effects, as well as the literal transformation of solar radiation into heat via green technology. Mirrored surfaces of the leaf-shaped elements reflect the viewers and surroundings, enfolding the audience into the piece itself.
For this performance, entitled Thermodynamic Flowers, Fisher has invited dancer and long-time collaborator Elizabeth Hart to Seattle to create a choreographed event on-site. Hart will improvise and interact with the thermodynamic sculpture, exploring the relationship between nature and culture.
Naomi Fisher: Thermodynamic Flower is part of
Bodies of Discovery, an expansive group exhibition taking place over the Summer/Fall of 2021 and featuring a series of performances, films, and installations. Set and performed in outdoor plazas and parks throughout downtown Seattle, this constellation of works explores the (re)activation of the physical body in our again-accessible public space, and will create sites of artistic discovery in unexpected places over the course of the exhibition. The presentations are curated by the Henry Art Gallery,
On the Boards, and
Velocity Dance Center, and supported by the
Metropolitan Improvement District.
ABOUT THE ARTISTS
Naomi Fisher earned her BFA at the Maryland Institute College of Art. She has been a resident at the Everglades National Park, Florida; Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art, Kansas City; and Kunstkvarteret Lofoten, Norway. Fisher has received numerous grants and awards, among them from the Knight Foundation and South Florida Cultural Consortium. Fisher has exhibited at national and international venues, such as at the Palais de Tokyo, Paris, France; Halle für Kunst, Luneburg, Germany; Kunsthalle Wein, Vienna, Austria; Kunsthaus Baselland, Basel, Switzerland; and Vizcaya Museum & Gardens, Miami. Her work is included in the public collections of the Henry Art Gallery, Seattle; Hirshhorn Museum & Sculpture Garden, Washington, DC; San Francisco Museum of Modern Art; Museum of Fine Art Boston; Rhode Island School of Design Museum, Providence; and Rubell Museum, Miami.
Elizabeth Hart is a New York based musician and performer. She is the bassist and original member of Psychic Ills. Hart has performed in museums, theaters and galleries worldwide such as MoMA (NY), the Kitchen (NY), Dancespace Project (NY), Judson Church (NY). She has worked with various artists, dancers and choreographers throughout her fifteen year career including Naomi Fisher, Jonah Freeman and Justin Lowe, Maria Hassabi and Sam Falls. In addition to performance, Hart and producer Ivan Lee have currently been creating musical compositions for dance, art films and exhibitions. This past April they released an experimental ambient album in collaboration with their daughter, Luca Yupanqui.
CREDITS
Naomi Fisher: Thermodynamic Flower is organized by Shamim M. Momin, Director of Curatorial Affairs, as part of Bodies of Discovery, a collaborative exhibition organized by the Henry Art Gallery, On the Boards, and Velocity Dance Center, and supported by the Downtown Seattle Association. The exhibition is presented in conjunction with Murmurations, a Seattle-wide arts collaboration featuring a series of exhibitions, performances, screenings, community conversations, artist talks, and other programs co-developed between cultural organizations.