Detail from A breakthrough (Europa)
Detail from Magnetic dynamo (Ganymede)
Detail from The patient historian (Callisto)
Detail from Jupiter’s beating heart (Io)
Works from this exhibition are available to purchase through Ro2 Art Gallery at www.artsy.net/artist/laura-j-lawson
I had the privilege of joining Dr. Kirby Runyon on a tour of space, right here on Earth. His astronaut geology training brought us to several geologic sites that are almost identical to what an astronaut would find on the moon, Mars, Venus, Io, Titan, and other worlds.
Together with another space enthusiast, we visited the New Mexico Museum of Space History, Carrizozo lava flow, White Sands National Park, Kilbourne Hole, and Aden Crater.
The New Mexico Museum of Space History was a great place to start. We were in the company of real rockets and astronaut equipment, and learned how astronauts trained for their missions at the sites we were about to visit.
Next was Carrizozo lava flow, which we visited through the Valley of Fires recreation area. This 40 mile expanse of lava poured from Little Black peak (not pictured), estimated around 5000 years ago. Kirby taught us to identify different formations in the basaltic rock, and we enjoyed hopping off the trail to piece together how the lava moved and hardened. Except for the vegetation, this sort of landscape is easy to find on other volcanic planets.
Our last stop of Day 1 was White Sands National Park. This dunefield of sparkling gypsum crystals is the largest of its kind on earth, and like nearby Carrizozo lava flow, can be seen from space. This was a truly surreal experience for me—coming from the flat prairie of Dallas, I spent the whole day snapping photos of anything larger than a hill. The whiteness of the sand intensified the colors of the sky in a way that my camera doesn’t capture, and the tops of the dunes glittered as the sun went down. We hiked across a few dunes for a moment of solitude, and enjoyed the eerie quiet and stillness.
The first stop of Day 2 was Kilbourne Hole, where Apollo astronauts were trained between 1969 and 1971. Kilbourne is a maar: tens of thousands of years ago, rising magma encountered groundwater in the crust, resulting in an explosion from all the vapor pressure. This blew apart the surface and ejected rocks from deeper underground. Among all the black basalt are bits of pyroxene and green olivine. I found it amazing to learn that this pale blue dot has a green heart under the surface.
Our final stop was Aden Crater. Aden Crater is a shield volcano, with rocky remains of what once were lakes of lava. This was a more substantial hike, from the dirt road up to the ridge, but in my imagination it was the most Martian experience. The dusty soil on the outskirts reminded me so much of the Red Planet, and it felt like the three of us were alone in the world on our trek from the lander. We carefully ambled up and down precarious slopes to follow lava tubes and hunt for vents. In my mind, I lived my dream of being off-planet.
Bonus pictures: if you know me, you know I love animals. The drive to Aden Crater involved going through pasture gates, and we had a funny encounter surrounded by cows. My hotel in El Paso had these two very well cared for cats living in the garden.
I sincerely thank Kirby Runyon for organizing such a wonderful experience, with the right amount of education and fun. Thank you to Jonathan Stroud for being great company, and special thanks to Ken Bowdon for connecting me to Kirby and making this trip possible.
Recorded on 9/23/23 at Ro2 Art Gallery in Dallas, Texas. This is my artist talk for my exhibition Jovian Resonance, in dialogue with gallery director Jordan Roth.
Watch my Glasstire Five Minute Tour of my exhibition Jovian Resonance at Ro2 Art in Dallas, Texas.
This is the recording of my TEDxAustinCollege talk on September 25th, 2021. It was an amazing experience!
I hope this talk empowers you to feel more deserving of resources for your creative practice.
Last week, my partner and I drove to Austin, Texas to join with Erica Felicella and friends to help create The Shrinking Ballot.
Devin Alejandro Wilder and Cassie Felicella. Photo by Dylan Hollingsworth
Ever since I gained the right to do so, I have been an active voter. From national to local elections, I research candidates and vote every single year. I help my students navigate how to register and how to determine if a candidate aligns with their values. I never say who to vote for, but nurture the habit of casting ballots based on facts.
I can get to the polls easily because of the privileges I carry: internet access, a car, an ID, and time to wait in line on a day off. When Erica described her plan for The Shrinking Ballot, I agreed to help without hesitation. Having a truly representative democracy depends on a fair and accessible voting system, and this month Texas must address if voter restrictions will become normalized.
View of the boxes pre-install
Erica’s team created two sets of ballot boxes from white cardboard which decreased in size, with no openings to accept votes. The largest boxes were seven feet in length, and the smallest were tiny one-inch cubes. The first set of shrinking boxes went with Erica to be part of her performance on the steps of the Texas State Capitol. I was on a team of three who delivered the second set of boxes to public spaces around the city. With Erica in an American flag morph suit, and the team in jumpsuits and masks, we performed and installed this piece as anonymous Americans.
Erica Felicella and Cassie Felicella. Photo by Dylan Hollingsworth
Jennifer Wester, Reo Casey, and Laura Lawson. Photo by Dylan Hollingsworth
Laura Lawson placing the smallest ballot box. Photo by Dylan Hollingsworth
Erica Felicella at the Texas State Capitol. Photo by Dylan Hollingsworth
I didn’t encounter witnesses of The Shrinking Ballot, so I can only speculate what they might have thought of our boxes appearing and disappearing in Austin. What I do know is how remarkably well Erica was treated when questioned by police. Much of this is due to how well she planned the piece to ensure the safety of participants and viewers, but much like our ability to vote, privilege helped. The piece was performed in full without any harassment, arrests, fines, or other issues. This is free speech as it should be.
It brings me joy that Austin welcomed us, and I hope witnesses of the performance feel empowered to protect their ballot, now and forever.
Read Erica’s words and full artist credits here on her website.
I’ve gone a year without getting sick and I remember in horror the city where I touched everything. So much pushing and grasping of tickets and gates and latches and buzzers and chairs and rails and doors. Two bisous for every acquaintance—and four for your dad—and my glasses collide with all of them. Every step is a chance encounter with gum and cigarettes: wet, white, spat-out vices. Contents of pockets are leaked into chairs. We could be suffocated by the intimations of mouths and hands. Ça me dégoûte; ça me plaît.
