Presented by Gallery on the Green

Mari Sharp My work reflects the destruction and disappearance of farmland in the United States. Born and raised in rural Connecticut I witnessed the farms that surrounded my home being shut down and built upon. Soon Industrial Parks, housing areas and a new school replaced the local farms. The fields and forests surrounding these farms were also leveled, and the wildlife was permanently displaced. Run-off from the building processes pollutes the environment leading to further ecological degradation and damage. My work speaks directly to the disparity of the abandoned farm. I venture to these haunted places and wander in the vacant buildings. I pull scraps of metal, wood, wire and rubber from the grounds and study them as artifacts. I utilize these artifacts, evidence of the farms existence, in my work to re-create the living spirit of the farm.