Haley Krob: Artist in Residence in the Milwaukee River Greenway

August 20, 2023  |  Topics: featured artist

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The Natural Realm presents Haley Krob, who is among 12 artists participating in a year-long residency program called ARTservancy, a collaboration between Gallery 224 in Port Washington and the Ozaukee Washington Land Trust, River Revitalization Foundation, Milwaukee Area Land Conservancy, Tall Pines Conservancy, and Lake Michigan Bird Observatory. The mission of ARTservancy is to promote the visionary work of both the artists and conservationists. Each artist has selected a preserve to spend time in and to engage with.

Artist Statement

Despite all the awareness surrounding climate change and humanity’s impact on the planet there still is a tendency to forget that we humans are a part of the natural world as well. We separate ourselves from nature as though we aren’t biologically, physically, and spiritually intertwined. In my work I explore the connections that exist in the natural world and the complex relationships between humanity and the planet. I depict the inherent connection that we have with the Earth within landscapes through drawing, printmaking, and a mix of cut paper colored with natural dyes. Materials foraged outdoors help remind me of my own connection to nature, while using recycled and biodegradable materials serve as a reminder of the footprint I leave behind.

The Milwaukee River Greenway trails have been familiar and comforting places since I moved from my rural Iowa hometown to Milwaukee. There’s a lot of repetition in the act of following the trails along the river, and yet, through this residency, I’ve been able to experience a place I thought I knew in a whole new way. I was amazed by the nature I’d been missing out on every winter that was spent tucked in an apartment, waiting for spring.

Though the leaves have fallen and the foliage has all died back, covered in a thick white blanket of snow and ice, in winter the lichen was almost glowing as it danced up the trunks and along the branches of trees. Even moss, still green, peeked out in little areas, hinting at the impending awakening of forest.

As the season changed to spring, buds slowly sprouted into leaves over the course of a week or two, and yet the change seems to happen in the blink of an eye. The moss and lichen, though still present, faded into the background as spring erupts into summer and wildflowers begin to bloom. Throughout all the changes, the river stays constant. Though the water is slightly frozen over in the winter, it never stops moving, accompanying you along your journey through the winding paths.

At the same time, the sketches and photos I took along the way went through their own metamorphosis. My goal was to make the body of work reflect the changes and discoveries made throughout these last months, creating the feeling of a journey where certain elements seem to fade, yet not disappear, and each individual journey on the same path leads to its own conclusion.

Gallery

Bio

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