Page 11 - The Woven Tale Press Vol. IV #6

Valley and Shadow: Another Life series
“The characters who populate these sculptures
are all old friends of Mar-
tha’s, beloved object-com-
panions found on her many s—Petruk the trickster, the Javanese dancer puppet, the basket-bodied
—occupy honored places in her studio, and have over time born wit- nd life. It is unsurprising then, that she chose her most beloved such
he roles of guardian, companion, and stand-in for the self. These fig- well as a tender intimacy...One of the primary materials humans have
d collective identities—and which Martha uses to great effect in these
taphors for embodiment and life itself, and through the interlocking
r connectivity and community. Cloth has also long been the vehicle for attern, mark-making, and symbol systems of all kinds. From her early avel as a trader of world textiles, Martha’s sensitivity to the metaphoric
cute. In nearly every piece comprising Valley and Shadow: Another Life, er the years have entered her visual lexicon through travel and trade.”
– Sonja Dahl
2