Bernadette Vielbig

Fluidity  ( page in progress- please check back later for more information & images)

This current body of work is rooted in my relationship with water.

I have always thought of water as a finite resource that changes forms and is continuosly recycled but the amount of it is a constant.  My understanding of this as a child came from observations and the idea that everything is recycled in some form as life & death continue to feed themselves.  

Water allows me live, to maintain civilized standards of cleanliness, and to experience joy & beauty from its presence in my life everyday.   Everywhere in this country I have lived I had to be able to live near moving water.   It calms my mind & I am grateful for that.   I am happy to back home in the waters of northern California & this body of work is my love letter to you Eureka.

In my studio practice the multiple is my muse.  She allows me to address my concerns about consumer culture by giving life to multiples destined for the landfill - even if just for a little bit longer. Repetition fascinates me.  From the rote things we do everyday in a robotic formulation I seek the little moment when the cycle breaks – if only for a second to find a moment of beauty in the banal.

I use humor, and satire to conceal  deeper commentary behind the works so they are assessable to anyone.  I do hope they make you smile.  And perhaps start having some difficult conversations about water.

I appreciate that things have a history of intended use before they cease to fulfill their duties & become someone else’s detritus.  I believe it is imperative to stop relying on newly generated resources more often than not.   This has been an important factor in my wok and life for many years, I feel as if I am finally at a point where the majority of my materials have been repurposed & I will continue in that quest to find beauty & appreciation in forms that no longer function. 

Special thanks to Mr. Larry Shay, Humboldt raised, currently a resident of Washington state, without his generosity & support the video work would not have been possible.   

• the ‘ocean water’ in this work was recycled from the ‘forest’ I built during my AIR @ SCRAP Humboldt.