Nathalie Miebach
Nathalie Miebach
Nathalie
Miebach
b. 1972 STUDIO IN BOSTON, MA
Nathalie Miebach’s reed sculptures draw you in with their playful colors and shapes. Surprisingly, each of these toy-like works is derived from atmospheric and oceanographic data collected during a specific weather event or period of time. Various colors and types of reed represent wind speeds, temperatures, tide levels, and a host of other information. Often, this data is further translated through the medium of musical notation, adding nuances of human interpretation to the final sculptural form.
In the case of O Fortuna, Sandy Spins, Miebach appropriated data from Hurricane Sandy. Of the many affecting images following the 2012 storm, the devastation of the amusement parks in Coney Island, NY and Seaside Heights, NJ, particularly resonated with the artist. The resulting work comments not only on the darkness of the event and all that was lost, but on the continuing conversation about climate change in the face of the massive scale and repetitive nature of recent storms.
In the case of O Fortuna, Sandy Spins, Miebach appropriated data from Hurricane Sandy. Of the many affecting images following the 2012 storm, the devastation of the amusement parks in Coney Island, NY and Seaside Heights, NJ, particularly resonated with the artist. The resulting work comments not only on the darkness of the event and all that was lost, but on the continuing conversation about climate change in the face of the massive scale and repetitive nature of recent storms.
Storms are wonderful because when you have extremes, as a sculptor or musician, that creates challenges to adapt these extremes within your medium. And mediums bring with them parameters
and limitations, so it’s like a puzzle. That’s part of why, sculpturally, they are fascinating to work with.
— Nathalie Miebach
