Margo Klass
• mixed media, including sticks from river and forest; salmon skin, various papers •
This piece responds to the research and wonder that surrounds the notion that the wild salmon that flourish in the rivers in Alaska provide nutrients to the trees in the boreal forest. “Salmon in the trees” might provide a catchy text for a tee shirt, but behind that quip is serious science.
Visually, this piece is composed of an image-within-an-image. The frame’s outer, larger image reflects a riverscape populated with salmon, while the inner image represents the forest thriving by embracing nutrients from faraway salmon.
Many thanks to Ray Hander, US Fish and Wildlife biologist, and Carol McIntyre, wildlife biologist with Denali National Park and Preserve, for data, research sources, and stimulating conversation about this subject.
MARGO KLASS
Margo Klass is a mixed media artist whose work includes box constructions and artist books. In both, natural and found objects are springboards for content. Aesthetically she draws from her study of medieval art and travel in Japan. She has received awards from the Rasmuson Foundation and Alaska State Council on the Arts. In 2015 she received the Governor’s Individual Artist Award. Her work is in the Alaska State Museum, Anchorage Museum, University of Alaska Museum of the North, Pratt Museum, and other public and private collections.
Website: margoklass.com
