The Art of Breathing: Liz Larner and the Changes of the Contemporary World

Liz Larner, the renowned Californian artist, remarkably utilizes human breathing in her works. She reflects on the project "Every Artist Breathes", which began in 1988, exploring NASA videos of asteroids and drawing inspiration from the world of space. This project includes works that have grown with the respiratory bacteria of artists from around the globe on petri dishes.

An Experience of Growth and Change

These works, which are somewhat symbols of the contemporary era, were exhibited in 2022. Larner notes that the bacteria in these works have transformed in various ways; some have turned into "beautiful, dry wafers" while others have taken on a dark black and green hue that conveys a sense of fear and mystery.

As a creative and innovative artist, she incorporates human hair, false eyelashes, leather, and surgical gases in her works. In the exhibition "A Hard Line to Bend" at the Camden Arts Centre in London, Larner examined single-use plastics and transformed them into captivating and unsettling works of art.

Environmental and Artistic Challenges

Larner states, "When China stopped accepting American plastics, I began collecting these materials in my studio. The volume became so large that I had to hang them from the ceiling." This experience reflects the environmental and artistic challenges that contemporary artists face.

As the world is changing, Larner's works address not only the aesthetic aspects of art but also environmental and social issues, reminding us that art can be a voice for change and awareness.