We must be so bitter

without wishes

not to send the seeds

of the dandelion’s rosette

parachuting, and keep it intact.

More startling yet

we bloom peonies on our skin,

dispense their scent;

hold exoskeletons of insects near,

carry serpents on our backs.

—-Diane Mehta

In an era of climate warming, rising oceans, biodiversity extinctions and existing oppression of women, my intention is to create visual narratives that honor our being embedded within the natural world. At Arts Gowanus Open studios in the fall of 2025, I exhibited the above work with two other works that Diane Mehta has chosen to write poetry. One is http://alicegarik.com/work/image-of-serpent-dragon-with-roots-to-flourish/ Another work is https://www.alicegarik.com/work/nesting-in-our-ecosystem/

Poet Diane Mehta has chosen 15 of my artworks to respond with her poetry. Her poems provide new perspectives to my artwork. They create a conversation between the visual and the words. The poems open new ways to experience the art. Here is a PDF of the artwork and poetry.

The response from the attendees at the Open Studios was exciting as they appreciated having poems correspond to the artworks. People appreciated the layering of the work with the poetry and that the poetry contributed multiple pathways to appreciate the artwork. People loved how the art inspired the poetry.