05/29/2026
“Cloud Totems” continues my exploration of alchemical processes of mirror-making and reflectivity. Two series of works are shown in tandem: one made by meticulously hand cut selenite crystal adhered to Japanese organza and translucent acrylic frames, resulting in fractured, glass like objects; the second with mica flakes mirrored using pre-industrial Italian mirror making techniques.
Each piece is created with hand cut minerals and mirrored with a thin layer of silver resulting in organic, cloud-like forms. In creating this work the silk structures began to represent totemic bodies. Their physicality, both in terms of how they are made and the elemental qualities evoked in the materials, has caused me to reflect on how we have become disconnected to our physical bodies and the natural world.
With the rise of AI, polarization on social media, and our increasingly self-isolating divided realities, my hope is that art as an action can create a way to root us back into ourselves, both communally and in relationship with nature. When the viewers interact with the panels, they will be able to see themselves reflected in the work, as through a glass darkly.
-Rosalind Tallmadge, 2026
