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Laura Mecklenburger

The act of making can bridge levels of reality, touching the intangible, and literally enacting change. My pieces are the physical form or remnant of an intentional spell, or they are ritual vessels or tools, amulets, talismans, altars, or shrines. I create these objects and environments to heal, to transform, to protect, to empower - for my own needs, those of my friends and loved ones, and for the service of larger communities. Rituals and magic provide depth to daily experience, language for the unspeakable, and actions in place of futility. I feel driven to be a conduit for my private experience of magic into a public, more accessible space for those of all backgrounds and beliefs. Intricate, realistic representations of trees, fungi, insects, and other anatomical or botanical forms as well as geological formations dominate my imagery. These are my personal metaphors, and also each brings sympathetic power - to transform, heal, strengthen, and protect. I research each species or natural formation and use it specifically for its role in the ecosystem, in medicine, and for its place in folklore or religion, as well as my own relationship with it. I try to honor and ally with these beings to create unique and effective rituals or spells, not following any existing tradition. My work is influenced by my queer femme experience, Jewish background, lifelong passion for science and literature, and animist world view. It also reflects my embeddedness in queer, activist, and neopagan communities. It saddens me that in today’s Western society, many feel alienated from ritual practice and the wilderness. Ritual objects and shrines are often assumed to belong to a distant global past despite being in common use worldwide, as part of religious and folk traditions. Ritual and folk magic are becoming a more visible part of today’s political and social activism, and are well represented in contemporary fine art. I believe we need a syncretic, global, postcolonial redefinition of art, to better include objects and performances with a religious, spiritual or magical use. But most of all, I love making tangible magic, and sharing its power with others.
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Naimah Stith, Retail Manager and Gallery Coordinator
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