Intimate Wilderness / Visions Museum of Textile Art

October 18-December 28, 2024

Artist Statement ABOUT THE EXHIBITION

Solace in wilderness, both near and far, is essential to me. We spend entirely too much time indoors, nose deep and hunched over in front of blue screens, computers, and smart phones. The Japanese deal with this phenomenon by Shinrin Yoku, “forest bathing,” as an approach to gaining emotional and spiritual equilibrium. Most of my adult life I have enjoyed the wilderness with my lifelong companion. Solitude, quiet, slow, and intimate encounters with the vast and tiny have provided calm and energized my curiosity and imagination that continues now independently.

All wilderness, urban or distant, oﬀers opportunities for quiet contemplation. Patterns, textures, colors, sounds, odors – all reach out to slow one down – allowing one to become immersed in the natural environment and experience the intimate wilderness.

This exhibit includes work that speaks to those encounters and their emotional impact on me.

About The Artist

Charlotte Bird has been a full-time studio artist for over thirty years. Her lifelong love affair with textiles has produced contemporary wall quilts, three dimensional sculptures, and artist’s books. She dyes and prints most of her own fabrics.

While she is not a current resident, Charlotte has spent significant time in Alaska, and particularly Denali National Park. She was an Artist in Residence in 2014. She has spent significant periods over the last 35 years in and around Denali National Park and has traveled throughout the state. Her work is represented in both public and private collections.

"Savage River Magpie"

"Quiet Magic Soundscape"

(scan QR code to listen)

Soundscape mixed by Christi Denton (composer) from water recordings by Charles Bird and bird song recordings by Davyd Betchkal, NPS Alaska Region Soundscape Scientist.

"Listening to the subtle sounds of the quiet; contemplating the forms, lines & shapes of river rocks; simply breathing the varying air..."