Ken Gonzales-Day
To Bough and to Bend
Director's Forward:
When true simplicity is gain'd,
To bow and to bend we shan't be asham'd,
To Turn, turn will be our delight,
Till by turning, turning we come round right.
—Josheph Brackett, from "Simple Gifts," 1848
A seed of a tree is delivered on the wind or the wing of a bird; the seed of an exhibition can start with a few simple words. To Bough and To Bend—the title of which comes from a Shaker dance song—was sown through a series of conversations with artists and community organizers, drawing our attention to the abiding significance of our sylvan neighbors. The exhibition was organized by a team of five curators—each represented by an essay in this book —with poetry and song as our guides. Bookending the curator' refelections, you will find the artists' own words. On March 11, 2020, at a potluck dinner to mark the opening day of the exhibition, we asked each person at the table: " If you could be a tree, what tree would you be and why? " The simple question evoked unexpectedly revealing answers, so we extended the inquiry to all of the artists in the exhibition and recorded their responses in this book. Enjoy what has grown into a lush canopy of rich and nourishing content.
—Cara Megan Lewis
Co-director, Bridge Projects
Details:
Hardcover, 112 pages
Texts by Cara Megan Lewis, Roberta Ahmanson, Michael Wright, Linnéa Gabriella Spransy Neuss, Vicki Pung Smith, Alejandro Figueredo Diaz- Perera