1878 Gallery
July 14 - August 19, 2018
Opening Reception Saturday, July 14, 2018
6:00 – 9:00 PM
Artist talk at 6:30 PM
Susannah Mira
Lighter Than Air
Susannah Mira uses commercial side-stream as her starting point, transforming piles of excess material into sculpture. In manipulating repetitive, geometric units into organic shapes, Mira reinstates the logic of nature into a production cycle that emphasizes profits over planetary stewardship. Her installation, Lighter than Air, employs the metal mesh of used air filters in pieces that appear to float exuberantly in space. The artist adds depth to these delicate forms by employing the brash palette used to designate various workplace hazards. For Mira, these elements serve as a signal to remain conscious of environmental issues, particularly in a political landscape that diminishes their importance.
Susannah Mira earned a Master’s degree in Environmental Art at the University of Art & Design Helsinki (now Aalto University) in 2008, however, she considers her experiential education, gained by living and working at Arcosanti, the Chinati Foundation, Earthship Biotecture, and other aesthetic outposts equally important. Mira has exhibited her work nationally and internationally and has been awarded close to two dozen artist residencies throughout North America, including opportunities at the Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity and with Signal Fire. Born in San Francisco and raised in a nondescript Philadelphia suburb, she has been based in Houston since 2013, where she maintains a studio at BOX 13 ArtSpace.
