Laments: Cut Paper by Ann Chadwick Reid

Cut paper artist Ann Chadwick Reid explores the complex relationship between her community and the global industry that exists because of our dependency on fossil fuels.

Artist’s Statement:

Living on an island provides me with access to nature and in particular the variety of plants, animals, birds and aquatic species that live close to and are dependent on the waters of the Salish Sea. My work is about where I live on Samish Island in Skagit County This area supports farming, commercial fisheries, recreation and tourism. It is also home to two large oil refineries and is daily traversed by a rail system that carries oil and coal for export. An oil spill or train derailment are daily threats. Population declines in marine fish and birds suggest a system that is stressed and in need of protection. 

Each morning I count the number of oil tankers parked north of the island. They remind me of the divergent ways in which we choose to use our natural resources and the complex relationship between the valley where I live and a global industry that exists because of our dependency on fossil fuels. These issues pose questions about environmental ethics as we are confronted with a growing population and climate change. I create paper cuts as fragile as our environment to celebrate the special nature and remarkable diversity of this intertidal region. The challenge for Northwest communities is to initiate and support conversations that lead to cooperation and sustainable solutions.

Credit: Exhibition overview from museum website