Erin Jane Nelson's "Sunflower Self" features a central photograph framed within a textured, deep blue ceramic structure adorned with small motifs and a clay flower. The image captures a natural scene with a figure bending, resonating with themes of personal and environmental connection. The artwork blends photography with tactile materials, reflecting Nelson's unique mix of collage and craft tradition. The piece epitomizes her exploration of regional histories and the psychological impact of the climate crisis through a feminist lens, rooted in her Southern heritage and intuitive style. ...
Erin Jane Nelson’s practice is grounded in photography sourced from her personal archive of found and original images. She often works serially, with each project delving into new conceptual frameworks as far ranging as regional histories of the Southern barrier islands, formative personal relationships, spirituality as a process of mourning and healing, and science fiction narratives. Through speculative world-building, layering everyday materials, and historical research, her work broadly explores the psychological impact of the climate crisis through a feminist lens. Raised in the American South and based in Atlanta, Nelson travels throughout the region to photograph her surroundings and lived experiences. She intuitively merges these images onto unexpected support structures—including silk, hand-crafted quilts, panels, and ceramic inspired by vernacular craft objects and the history of collage—their multiple references engaging the nuanced anxiety, conflict, and humor of the present and immediate future. ...
Commonwealth and Council is a gallery in Koreatown, Los Angeles founded in 2010. Our program is rooted in our commitment to explore how a community of artists can sustain our co-existence through generosity and hospitality. Commonwealth and Council celebrates our manifold identities and experiences through the shared dialogue of art—championing practices by women, queer, POC, and our ally artists to build counter-histories that reflect our individual and collective realities. ...
