Mia Feuer
Jerusalem Donkey is the result of a series of workshops with Palestinian children. Feuer observed that at various roadblocks in the region it was forbidden for Palestinians to drive motor vehicles. To get around these draconian rules locals used donkeys. The sculpture is an homage to these creatures. Incredibly in 2006 a sinkhole opened up beneath the artist’s storage, swallowing over 60 of the sculptures, the one on display here is a re-creation.
The work Dog Sled came after a period of research on the Canadian tar sands and Arctic coal mines. Built in the Arctic environment itself after conversing with her guide about the relative difference between traditional dog-pulled sledge and new snowmobiles, Dog Sled is constructed out of petroleum waste, which when displayed outside the Arctic itself begins to sag as the constituent pieces variously thaw. In this she positions herself as an artist who believes passionately in the transformative potential of art; It is important for contemporary artists to create work that provokes dialogue, asks questions and responds to the times in which they live. Finding herself a part of what has been termed the Anthropocene – a time in the earth’s history in which human actions shape the planet – her work has explicit ties to the impact of our actions upon our environment.
© Natasha Hoare, 2015