Martha Ressler, Shame, 2-11
I knew that I would be taking a political and historical approach to “Shame.” Living in the US, I consider the greatest shame to be slavery and the nation’s failure to come to grips with it even 150 years later. Then a multitude of “shames” crowded into my mind: near extermination of the Native population, imperialist exploitation of nations and peoples, continuing racism and xenophobia, economic inequality, and women’s oppression.
What I chose was something particularly near and dear to me: Deforestation.
I live in the countryside. Everywhere are bucolic views of hills, fields, and mountains.
But except for some scraggly tree lines, all are stripped of trees. Yes, forests remain on the mountains which were too steep to be farmed. But even these are dying.
Trees contribute to the quality of the air, lock in rich topsoil, act as a water purifier, and help cool the land. Forests are complex ecosystems which also affects other species on the planet which are losing their habitats because of deforestation.
There is even a direct correlation between deforestation and slavery, especially in the Caribbean and Central America where slaves were made to cut down vast forests of mahogany to plant sugar cane and other crops for export.
My quilt is called The Madness of Deforestation. It may look like a lovely rural view. But there is a deeper story. There are even references to slavery stitched into the furrows in the foreground.
Martha Ressler
The Madness of Deforestation, 2-11
40 x 29.5”
Raw Edge Applique, free motion machine quilted.
私は「恥」に対して政治的および歴史的なアプローチを取ることを知っていました。アメリカに住んでいる私は、最大の恥は奴隷制であり、150年経っても国が奴隷制に対応できなかったことだと思います。それから、多くの「恥」が私の心に押し寄せました：先住民の絶滅の危機、国と人々の帝国主義的搾取、人種差別と外国人排斥の継続、経済的不平等、そして女性の抑圧。
私が選んだのは、私にとって特に身近で大切なもの、つまり森林破壊でした。
私は田舎に住んでいる。どこにでも丘、野原、山々の牧歌的な景色があります。
しかし、いくつかのぎこちない樹木限界線を除いて、すべてが木を剥ぎ取られています。はい、森林は急すぎて耕作できない山に残っています。しかし、これらでさえ死にかけています。
木は空気の質に貢献し、豊かな表土を閉じ込め、浄水器として機能し、土地を冷やすのに役立ちます。森林は複雑な生態系であり、森林破壊のために生息地を失っている地球上の他の種にも影響を及ぼします。
森林伐採と奴隷制の間には直接的な相関関係さえあります。特に、奴隷がマホガニーの広大な森林を伐採してサトウキビや他の作物を輸出用に植えるように作られたカリブ海と中央アメリカではそうです。
私のキルトは森林破壊の狂気と呼ばれています。それは素敵な田園風景のように見えるかもしれません。しかし、もっと深い話があります。前景の溝に縫い付けられた奴隷制への言及さえあります。
マーサ・レスラー
森林破壊の狂気、2-11
40 x29.5インチ
生のエッジアップリケ、キルティングされたフリーモーションマシン。
A great idea to take these themes that are important to you and express them so beautifully.
Thank you Regina.
It’s a concern to me, too. I have planted numerous trees on my property. But I live in a fire-prone area and PGE, our gas and electric company, is on the verge of cutting down many of the native trees and the ones I have planted. They now decided that they need a 40′ wide deforested line along the transmission lines. Instead of regular maintenance, read: tree trimming, as they used to do in the past, they want to cut everything down. I realize they were sued for billions of dollars for the fires their lines started in California, but I think they need to take into consideration the value of not just the old trees, but the ones that won’t grow taller than the lines in the next 100 years. I’m sure that the cost of trimming trees would have substantially less impact on their bottom line than the cost of paying the fines AND trimming the trees now.
Oh my goodness, yes it’s a whole other story in California. We just planted 750 trees on our property. Don’t you dare cut them down!!
Your piece speaks loudly of the destruction humans have caused on our Mother Earth. Not just against Mother Earth but also against each other.
I live in a rural countryside where trees come down only if there is a crop to grow and a family to feed. No mass deforestation in this small-town community. BUT, worldwide, we see and understand the devastation and still keep quiet and let it happen. Thank you for sharing your voice.
Yes, it is due to agriculture that they came down (mostly.) And people must be fed. But there are other ways. I’m still learning about them. Thank you for your comment.