Diving, Diving, Diving Deep - Canto XXXI - September 2025
Two dear friends crossed over this summer. My father wouldn’t have been allowed to enter this country. Edifices are crumbling. We are piercing the veils.
Within days of the World Trade Center demise, I created River of Light, the four handmade paper scrolls that are hanging in the window and gallery.
To honor my ancestors, I installed an enlarged image of my reupholstered WASP grandfather’s chair. Adhered to it is a xeroxed tee shirt with a photo of my Sicilian Nonna & Nonno.
The paper texts were torn from a long paper path that I danced on outside the windows in September. The texts are my thoughts from meditating on Mark Rothko’s 14 immense dark paintings.
When I learned of my dear friend’s imminent death, I decided he needed a sacred barque and immediately painted one and another, and another. …
As I witness the dissolution of “civility”, of safety nets, of recourse, I have nothing conclusive to impart, only that we will all meander along the edges of the River Styx. May we all float in sacred barques.
I am considering all of the thin layers - membranes holding all of this livingness together; bark, leaves, skin, flesh, rock, air, animal, water.
Diving, Diving, Diving Deep To Find Strength September 5, 2025
Meandering Along the Bank of the River Styx,
September 5, 2025
Apotheosis - Canto XXX. June 30, 2024
Apotheosis - Canto XXX
Honoring Mama Gaia. For my Birthday celebration I invited artist friends to create site-specific performances: Evangel King, Benjie Lasseau, Stuart Rabinowitsh, Ron Ortman, Hilary Cadwell, Ted Rabinowitsh, Andrew Zarillo.
APOTHEOSIS-CANTO XXX, 2024
Standing on a flattened schist slab in an amphitheater over looking the Pacific, I recalled my birthday pilgrimages to Artemisia in Efes, Turkey, and how the ancient stones communicated with me. For my 80th birthday ritual I decided to let the stones’ energies - known to be the oldest rock in the planet - along with the resonance emanating from the surrounding redwoods, inform my dancing and vocalizing. I was costumed as the primordial bird ceremoniously cracking open the universe, shape-shifting into the distant pre-Zeus past when the feminine was venerated and her voice - TRUTH. This experience humbles me. A culmination of all of my work with paper, dance, voice, invited artists and audience.
Photo credit: Tim Volz
Performance Images
Erin Rose Thomas created my bird costume and mask from my up-cycled paintings.
After the performance I returned to place sheets of paper on the schist I had danced on. Using pencils and oil sticks, I made random marks with my right hand (I am left handed), then I placed the drawings in the grass and painted while singing Mozart’s “Alleluja”.
GALLERY EXHIBTION AND WINDOW INSTALLATION:
September 6, 2024 - present
Diana Marto standing in front of her window installation in her new gallery and studio in Fort Bragg, CA.
Photo credit: Stuart Rabinowitsh
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diana at dianamarto dot com
NEW STUDIO 2021
DIANA MARTO - ARTS
330 North Franklin Street
Fort Bragg, CA 95437
GALLERY HOURS:
Open on First Fridays 5-8:00PM
Performances at 6:00PM
Windows viewable 24/7
Open by appointment.
four one five 324-9672
