TRACY REN

In making, “as above, so below / she knew me before i knew myself”, I wanted to integrate my long term interest in astrology with my newly acquired knowledge of herbalism. My intention was to use this dual lens of astro-herbalism to break open a small piece of my family history, as taking something apart to then put it back together is often the best way to find oneself in a place of understanding.

I began this process with my name, given to me by my maternal grandmother. My name, 茜, translates to “madder”, and when you break the character up into its pieces, it speaks of an herb that travels west. The root of the madder plant has been used in dying processes since ancient times, and produces a range of colors, from a sweet pale pink to a deep rusty red. Almost all of the yarn I used to crochet this installation has been dyed with madder, and the work is supported throughout by copper wire. Madder and copper have astrological significance, and embody the planets Mars and Venus, planets of strength and love respectively. They represent significant elements of my own astrology, while speaking to the qualities that are most called for during a time that necessitates great transformation. This sculpture is the physical manifestation of the ancestral knowledge that courses through my veins and lives deep inside my bones — a call to all to harness the strength within, and to center always the tenants of a love ethic.

Viewers were invited to lay on the white wool carpet beneath the hanging sculpture. Over the course of the show, I witnessed strangers gather, even if only momentarily, in soft configurations. Children sprawled out, their limbs mimicking the form that hung above them.

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copper wire, yarn dyed with madder root and other natural dyes, iron bells, silver and brass charms, wool carpet
11’ x 9’ x 9’
Image Courtesy Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, San Francisco. Photos by Charlie Villyard.