Untitled

Justin Aversano. Nicole Buffett. We chose to create the Mother Tree image with the intention to exalt in this symbiotic relationship we have with the tree and our breath of life itself. This collaborative piece aims to acknowledge the primary, crucial and too often overlooked relationship and reliance upon trees for our very existence. The Mother Tree feeds all of life above and below. Above, all creatures of the sky, butterflies, flocks of migrating birds and four legged friends take sanctuary in her safe branches uplifting, protecting and feeding them. From below, her roots reach out to sense and find what the other trees and multitude life forms in her realm need to be nourished. Her mycorrhizae, flora, fauna and colonies of organic growth rely upon her root system to alchemize the Earth and make available an abundance of nutrition, healing and safe harbor. As humans living in the city of Los Angeles, this tree, just like so many around us, gives and lives so richly, so freely, despite impending pollution and disregard. We wanted to celebrate our chosen one of many Mother Trees and articulate her energy of cosmic wonder and magic so that SHE can be safe, seen and Celebrated. Diana Sinclair. Building a better future is a generational process that includes many sacrifices and healing along the way. When talking about the future, especially in the digital spaces I've been inhabiting recently, many people discuss a utopia that will be unattainable to most, but especially those weighted with their lineage’s trauma, created by systemic oppression. As a young Black American trying to embrace the new incoming era through crypto and the metaverse, I am still conscious of the generational trauma carried by people like me, and how that could affect our ability to fully partake. The animation in on this piece is made to abstractly represent what burdens we’ve had to carry, and the future we’d like to see ourselves in. The over-sexualization of Black women for profit, the forced consciousness on Black children, and other adversities passed down throughout the years all have heavily affected our generations, however, as seen through the transfer of the halo in this piece, we can heal ourselves and our future generations so that we might see a brighter future. Embracing this increasingly virtual era has led me to meld and overlap many different techniques in my work. Many of them digital, some analog. Often that exploration encourages me to make experimental, multimedia, layered pieces. This video artwork is layered with digital rotoscoping, and a random effects generator.