thus spoke the mudpuppy was inspired by a dream I had in which I was walking through a dry creek bed. After turning a bend, I came across a 20-foot-long hellbender that was sitting on a limestone shelf, peering down at a stagnant pool of water. After sitting down and spending some time with it, it began to speak to me in deep guttural tones that I could not, or did not want to, understand.

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In this exhibition, I have included four of these ‘mudpuppies’, a recent series of paintings, as well as the pool of water. Reflected off the pool are shots of a creek flowing, a forest, and a house in deep winter. The ‘mudpuppies’ are proximity responsive (look for the two dots by the speaker!) while the pool of water is activated by sound. In each case, the trigger plays an audio recording based on some interaction initiated by the viewer. The ‘mudpuppies’ play a variety of sound collages and audio loops that layer various instruments, while the pool of water plays 20 Hz (the haunting frequency), which is just within the subaudible range for humans and is, incidentally, the resonant frequency of the pool of water. This, in turn, creates a cymatic pattern that disrupts and distorts the reflected footage.

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If you were to visit this exhibition on your own, you would only be able to activate one object at a time. It is through experiencing this space with others that the objects begin to reveal themselves. It is through community that we are able to have a consistent disruption of the winter imagery. Personally, I struggle with depression, and I have a tendency to self-isolate during an episode. I have found that reaching out to others is one of the best ways to disrupt those negative thought patterns. This exhibition is a plea for everyone to be soft, to not suffer alone, and to seek help when it is needed. Self-isolation is real, and there are people close by who can help you.