Hafnarborg / Iceland / 2017

During March, 2017, Mariah was artist in residence at Hafnarborg Center for Culture and Fine Art in Hafnarfjörður, Iceland. Below is a collection of images and impressions that informed her work, as the world shifted in its sleep and spring began to creep up on winter. This residency helped Mariah reflect on and distill the meanings and threads of art making she collected during the past year of international residency experiences.

 

Black Sand Beach, Vík

I have sand in my coat pocket,

Black sand from the beach at Vík.

I touch it when I reach in to get a glove or warm a hand.

I touch it and think of the little white bubbles on the little black wave

That you touched.

I think of the water that came up and up, unexpectedly, too far, over my feet, over my jeans.

I think of the feeling of you being pulled away, pulling me down too.

I think of your face under the black wave

(it didn’t happen they said, but I see it anyway).

I think of pulling you up and trying to run, but we are too heavy.

 

I held tight to your hand. The sea spat us out and left sand in my pocket.