Mother-Daughter Duo Maternal Mitochondria Open Show at Miriam's Poetry Yard In Santa Fe

Miriam Sagan and Isabel Winson-Sagan are no strangers to working together. Mother, Miriam, and daughter, Isabel, are now collaborating creatively, too, as "Maternal Mitochondria."

Miriam Sagan has just open her Poetry Yard-a safe, outdoor space where art lovers can enjoy the interplay of visual and written arts in Santa Fe.

The first show at the Poetry Yard is Maternal Mitochondria's Desiccation: Dormancy: Deluge.

The piece includes sculpture by Winson-Sagan and poetry from Miriam Sagan.

Made entirely of recycled materials, Winson-Sagan's sculpture is made of wood and the plastic caps from baby formula as it references forest fires and the flooding caused by ecological destruction. "The sculpture brings up issues of human consumption and how different organisms feed," explains Winson-Sagan. "It takes inspiration from saprophytic fungi (mushrooms that consume dead wood) and the twin processes of parasitic and symbiotic growth."

The sculpture interplays with poet Miriam Sagan's haiku, "(A triangle) Between me / G-d / and the water".

The piece helps direct rainfall by incorporating a dry pond within its orbit. The artist and viewer wonder about the relationship of the piece to the land around it-will it change over time, given sun exposure, humidity and rain, drought and fire? Winson-Sagan talks about the ambiguity and anxiety of climate change and these environmental emergencies.

"The plastic and dairy industries are an ambiguous two-edged sword, for instance-using unsustainable environmental practices while at the same time greatly expanding human access to food and vital resources," says Winson-Sagan. "So the question is: how do we achieve a balance between human needs and biological destruction?

Miriam Sagan's poetry yard is open for visitors. If you would like to visit the exhibit, Desiccation: Dormancy: Deluge, propose a project for the Poetry Yard, or interview Miriam Sagan or Isabel Winson-Sagan, please contact Miriam Sagan at msagan1035@aol.com. Photos are by Matthew Morrow.