21 Oct Abigail Doan
This may feel as a recurring theme in my writings, but I am particularly drawn to art which crafts a conversation surrounding the extensive changes our planet is undergoing as a result of reckless usage of its natural resources, migration, impetuous mass production. My proposition for today is to take a short break from our fast-paced life and really ponder on the art that is born from Abigail Doan ’s brilliant ability to document and preserve natural environments.
I first encountered the artist’s Walking Libraries as part of the Incantio Mundi exhibition in Iasi, at Romanian Creative Week this May. I believe the location of my first interaction with her art was perfect, the Turkish Baths, which I hope will play a major role in the contemporary art scene once the restoration of the building is completed.
I am personally captivated with using walking as an artistic practice, as this is the primary method my partner uses in deciphering possibilities of urban coexistence. In Abigail Doan ’s art, this method of survey actually serves in studying nature, away from the concrete man-made world. By allowing herself to walk in solitude in various natural environs, from prairies to lakes and mountains, her journeys turn into opportunities for quiet observation and introspection. Her artistic practice is intrinsically linked with comprehensive documentation, ranging from drawing, photography on site to collecting small fragments of the organic elements present in the wilderness.
Above you can notice part of Abigail Doan ‘s extensive archive which I was so joyous to observe up close, Walking Libraries. Started in 2016 (still an ongoing documentation project), this selection of artifacts and various materials gathered from the artist’s site-specific walks was one impactful wake-up call. On one hand, it was a lesson on resilience- there I was, standing with fragments of fibers, shells, threads before me and all I could think of was how our environment is shaped by the so many alterations our ways of living bring to this planet. There are unfortunate times when the elements become just a distant memory, and that’s where the power of archiving comes in, helping us preserve their existence into history. And there are those situations when nature just refuses to surrender to external pressure and just adapts, creating a new habitat, enthralling in its own ways.
On the other hand, I couldn’t help but admire the manner in which the artist employs photography in archiving. You’ll see above two of the Walking Libraries photographs printed together on one sheet, which I took home with me and is still one of my favorite souvenirs I keep on display in our living room. On the left side, you’ll catch a glimpse into the artist’s thought process which goes into categorizing the elements of the archive- it’s not just about the composition of the photograph being aesthetically pleasing, it’s also offering you an ample view on the parts you can’t always see in one place in an art gallery (for logistic reasons, this exhibition obviously couldn’t include all the physical elements which constitute the archive, but there is always the possibility to see them online on the artist’s website). On the right side, you have a relevant example on the significance of preserving a moment in time. There is unfortunately no telling if you’ll be able to experience terrain study of sand formations and erosion live in 50 years time, or if deserts and lake shores will still look the same.
It’s always such a unique experience whenever you discover an artist, but don’t get to meet them at a vernissage or maybe at the exhibition you’re seeing their work for the first time. Although not on purpose, I instinctively envision a certain portrait of the artist’s personality based on their art. I haven’t met Abigail Doan, yet I felt she has immeasurable respect for all the living things, I imagine she is a nurturer just by all the thoughtful details she highlights in her projects. Her paper-based series of artworks astonished me in their sensibility, the paradox of seeing something so frail as paper appearing timeless and powerful concurrently, on account to the structures the artist employs.
Another aspect which fascinated me was the artist’s innate ability to tell a visual story. In the process of writing this piece, I also found some of her writings by researching her website, she is fantastic at writing not just about her artistic practice, but art in general, yet I must confess from the first moment I saw the selection of the Walking Libraries online I felt as if I was trailing her ambitious journeys. In the spirit of complete transparency, I also came to the realization that, had I walked the same path, I would have probably never noticed all the enchanting elements that compose an ecosystem. Still, I consider that ever since I discovered Abigail Doan ‘s art, all my trips in nature are more thoughtful and significant, so not all hope is lost.
While we are on the topic of nature walks, one can wonder how the lack of mobility in the pandemic has shaped the artist’s work. She lived near a Connecticut natural lake for over an year, which inspired her Floating Vessels project. Faced with limited travel possibilities, the artist created rafts from various preserved materials, inspired by the vessels’ power to enable safe crossing to further shores. There is no denying we are navigating tumultuous times, but just as elements from nature are able float for significant distances from one point to another and have done so throughout history, I chose to see this artistic project as an optimistic proposition that somehow, we’ll manage to make it to the other side while also learning to respect the essential role nature plays in our journey.
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