Respiration/Restoration – No. 1, 2, and 3, 2024
Acrylic on canvas, University of St. Thomas Art Collection, 2024.01.009; .010; .011
On View: Schoenecker Center, 4th floor
These three paintings tell the story of the 2011, 2014, and 2017 pollutant emissions in Minnesota, interpreted and told through a visual language developed by Halleckson. The perhaps surprising detail that has emerged is that changes in policies and real time action has led to an improvement in air quality.
Halleckson finds inspiration from the colors that make up the sky at the edges of day. Each color corresponds to a different pollutant level: sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, lead, carbon monoxide, ammonia, particulate matter (PM2.5 and PM10), and volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Just as the air blends and flows, so too do the artist’s brushstrokes and chosen colors.
Working with this dataset was particularly inspiring and gives Halleckson hope that together we can continue to make positive changes in repairing the ecological systems that support our lives. Her work serves as a devotional practice to the wonder and brilliance that surrounds us and fills our every breath.
