Minneapolis-based artist Sonja Peterson creates intricate paper art that explores themes of interconnection between nature and human influences. Through her work, she investigates the fragility of ecological systems, focusing on texture, pattern, and the balance of positive and negative space. Peterson incorporates organic motifs, animals, and historical references, shedding light on issues like global trade and colonialism while highlighting the precariousness of our environment. Her pieces serve as a commentary on how human activities contribute to climate change, aiming to rekindle a sense of wonder toward both natural and human-made worlds.
My choice of paper echoes the idea of the fragility that I want to convey as I look at the precariousness of ecological systems. The works' structural integrity is, at times, reliant on its interconnectivity; if elements disconnect, the entire system is in threat of collapsing. This reflects a broader commentary on how interconnected our global trade systems are with the environment, even as they contribute to the climate crisis.
Nature is now often seen as contained patchwork or a constructed binary to a technological world that is now the wild frontier. I often juxtapose botanical details with human-made structures, which reveals an underlying commentary about our relationship with the environment and the impact of human actions on natural systems.
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