surreal image of a funnel shape, at the top are heads of many species of birds in water; sides of funnel look like tufted upholstery; one heron burst through side of funnel with a snake in it beak; floral bundles on each side of funnel; human face in water at bottom of funnel; species are North American birds: geese, kingfisher, cardinal, woodpecker, ducks, heron, etc.; landscape and flowers at R are burning; background is shades of orange

Prairie Pond, 2007

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Eleanor Spiess-Ferris has consistently made artwork that addresses the relationship between humans, animals, plants and their linked environment. "The Pond" uses exaggeration and fantasy to consider catastrophic impacts on the environment. She reflects, "I grew up on a small farm in northern New Mexico. In the untamed orchard, behind the house and over the irrigation ditch, I found a place of quite and solitude. This was a world where I could play undisturbed by the world. It was among the overgrown plum trees and the elderly apple trees that I first discovered the mysteries of nature, life, and death. As an adult I return to the orchard in my work. The depiction of nature has become a metaphor for my personal experience and my relationship to the world."

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Details
Title
Prairie Pond
Artist Life
born 1941
Role
Artist
Accession Number
2023.81.1
Curator Approved

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surreal image of a funnel shape, at the top are heads of many species of birds in water; sides of funnel look like tufted upholstery; one heron burst through side of funnel with a snake in it beak; floral bundles on each side of funnel; human face in water at bottom of funnel; species are North American birds: geese, kingfisher, cardinal, woodpecker, ducks, heron, etc.; landscape and flowers at R are burning; background is shades of orange
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