J. E. Paterak
"I walk daily as a kind of meditation but it is also a time to further develop a responsive relationship with the planet. It is something we can all do. By observing plants and fungi, I absorb great deal about life, death and decay. My observations of plants are not unlike how a moss absorbs moisture, it is quiet and a bit opportunistic. I have respect for what I observe in various ways plants demonstrate actions that appear intelligent.
Earth is in a period of rapid change, if not immediate peril, so it is upon each of us to illuminate the delicacy within our ecological/geological timescale. We have a multitude of opportunities to change our habits, instigating positive change. Ultimately language and creativity work in tandem to benefit humanity. We artists create to further to participate in the urgency of awareness and necessary change. I paint these weeds not as a ideal specimen or part of a history that is already written, but as a portrait of a life that we more often than not take for granted." J. E. Paterak, Artist Statement