I translated the experience of viewing one northern American river through 4 years and 4 seasons into an interrelated video series, using the spiritually significant number 36, often associated with the Archangel Michael's chaplet.
© 2015 marshamcdonaldart
This is a Wisconsin river meditation in the form of a chaplet created for a Wisconsin Academy of Arts Letters and Sciences invitational exhibition honouring International Water Day 2015. A single river walked and photographed over the course of 2 years, this chaplet is part of an ongoing video piece of 108 beads chronicling this particular river over 4 seasons and 4 years.
This is a piece created for an exhibition honouring International Water Day 2015.
“Pattern is born when one reproduces the intuitively perceived essence.” Yanagi Sōetsu (also known as Yanagi Muneyoshi)
100 small gold leaf boats, with bronze ribs, found buried inside a large clay pot in Denmark. Subiya, Pesse, Noyen-sur-Seine, Dufuna. The relic journeys of life and death repeat themselves.
On this page is the beginning of a series, Astral Navigation, as well as a previous work, 1000 Canoes.
This is the beginning of a series, Astral Navigation.
This work is comprised of 1000 copper leaf and painted 8 inch suspended origami canoes. It was begun while my husband was ill and ended after his death. Moments aware, like beads in prayer, become a solitary practice. Folding fragile objects of passage remade and recorded a remnant of a personal voyage. It is an all too human journey, an inevitable watery event.
Installed for a 2015 invitational exhibition honouring 2015 International Water Day.
Night fluid, moon penumbras, deep winter, north, the ice inside water, wind inside the ice.
© marsha mcdonald 2021
These video beads were created as a collaborative response to the 2021 invitational, Reimagining the Global Village, curated by Nirmal Raja.
For this collaboration, McDonald created a series of 7 “experiential” video meditations, grounded in the visions and thoughts that she experienced through multiple readings of Kyoko Yoshida’s short story, “Going to Meet the Dogs”.
McDonald was struck by the cruelty and kindness human beings have shown dogs, in the story, in the history of the Sakhalin Islands (the home of the Karafuto inu), and in Antarctic exploration. Through Yoshida’s story, McDonald felt herself growing deeply attached to the still active presence of the now-extinct Karafuto dogs through their immortal dog spirits. Her videos for this project are also influenced by Buddhist and Ainu beliefs, as well as her culturally Catholic background.
Night fluid, moon penumbras, deep winter, north, ice inside water, wind inside ice.
Sakaigawa low water, dry summer, urban darkness. Filmed over three months, midsummer, Kanagawa Japan 2017
The 2020 Pandemic
On my street in Higashiosaka, a narrow road flanked by traditional and modern high walls, my neighbors and I dream of walking and cycling in the beautiful countryside.
A trailer Tyler Marino and I produced, in collaboration with Anca Cristofovici, the author of the novel, Stela. Published by Ninebark Press.
Bronze patinated cups that sound when struck - rough, earthbound things with voice. Each cup approximates a chordal note - c f g.
© 2022 marsha mcdonald
c (c#) diatonic 2013 patinated bronze 3 x 2.25 cms
g (g#) diatonic 2013 patinated bronze 10 x 6.5 cms
f (e) diatonic 2013 patinated bronze 9 x 9 cms
This is an overview of work and themes of work.
This was created as a contemplative exposition of my work themes for the Wisconsin Academy of Arts Letters and Sciences, International Water Day 2015.
Uma coleção de textos e imagens, e colaborações com poetas, escritores e artistas.
A collection of texts and images, and collaborations with poets, writers, and artists.
