Hallow

Known for incorporating the use of x-rays in her artistic practice to explore the underlying realities of familiar objects, Nona Garcia’s choice to use bones and skulls in this video work may seem obvious in light of the medical applications of this technology. 

In Hallow, (2015), the skeletal remains of animals such as hyenas, crocodiles, beavers, birds, and deer, as well as coral, are meant to create a picture of the harmony and symmetry of life, not its brokenness or decay. The intricate patterns that flash before our eyes are reminiscent of the evolving forms within a kaleidoscope, a joyful celebration of the cycle of life and death in the natural world. Exposed bones often hold morbid associations as reminders of physical injury or what remains after one’s passing, but in this work, they celebrate the foundations of life.