stra·ta /ˈstrā-tə/
noun · plural of stratum
Layers of rock, soil, or sediment formed over time; a physical record of place; holding the accumulated history of a landscape..
Strata.
I kept coming back to this word (pronounced STRAY-tuh) as this collection took shape.
It’s not a word most of us use in everyday conversation. But beyond its geological definition—layers of rock, soil, or sediment—I begun to appreciate it's somewhat poetic meaning: the idea that the earth holds a record of a landscape’s history in it's layer
Strata are Earth's memories.
The more I reflected on this, the more fitting the name felt for these new works.
Throughout the painting process, I’ve often thought about where each pigment I use began. Some bring back personal memories of gathering earth and rocks from places I've personally visited. Others, such as my pigments from Uganda and Poland, carry the stories and memories of the people who sent them to me.
Each artwork in this collection holds a story of those places.
Isn’t it beautiful to think of art this way? As a keeper of memories, much like the strata of this beautiful planet.
I look forward to sharing The Strāta Collection with you on November 13.
