The artwork of “The Long Journey Home” isn’t only seen. It’s also felt. The presence of these pieces fills the room because of the history, meaning, and majesty in the materials. Before they reached Christi’s hands and were reimagined into fine art pieces, the materials had already lived a life. As viewers, we connect to Christi’s story as well as the stories of the art itself. They all prompt memories, emotions, and revelations.
“The Long Journey Home” is the must-see solo art show by Christi Meril coming to ALG Fine Art on Saturday, October 3rd. Here are the stories behind the materials and the grounding presence of the pieces.
Old-growth redwood
This is a material Christi has been working with since 2022. In her wood sculptures, she lets the color, texture, and, importantly, story of old-growth redwood shine. Christi was initially drawn to redwood because of the humility we experience as humans when we walk amongst them. Their resilience, strength, history, ancient wisdom, and interconnection (they thrive when intertwined with neighboring trees) provide such moving symbolism.
This material is sustainably sourced by a craftsman on the Mendocino coast of Northern California. Christi travels to his workshop set amongst the redwood forest and hand-selects the redwood. The craftsman tells Christi the story of how he sourced each piece. It usually involves the tree being pulled from surrounding rivers, beaches or private land where it fell long ago.
Old-growth redwood has been protected from being cut down since 1950 due to about a hundred years of the lumber industry destroying forests and endangering the species. It would have been devastating to lose these forests that are at minimum 200 years old and can date back over 2,000 years. What these trees have seen and survived is now embedded into Christi’s artwork.
Charcoal from Ghost Ranch
Another place pivotal in Christi’s journey is Santa Fe. She visited the area this summer as she worked on “The Long Journey Home” collection. A place with a completely different color palette and energy from Dallas, it’s a reset and return to the self when the busyness of the city becomes overwhelming.
One visit to Santa Fe took her to Ghost Ranch. Christi was following in the footsteps of Georgia O’Keeffe. The artist often retreated to the area to create, finding inspiration in the landscape. While Christi was there, she came across an extinguished campfire and took a piece of charcoal from it. For a while, it sat in her studio, witnessing the creation of other artwork. As Christi was working on this collection, it came to the forefront. Christi used the charcoal in her canvas pieces, memories making marks on the surface.
Plain paper representing what we carry
A newer development in Christi’s sculptural language, “The Long Journey Home” includes a series of paper sculptures. To craft the series “What We Carry,” Christi took the ordinary paper and cut it by hand before sewing it back together. Then the formation was cast and hung like stone.
This object is so ordinary that it’s almost invisible. Yet, when we sit with it quietly, a story starts to unfold. These reimagined paper sculptures symbolize the things we carry from place to place, collecting memories and people along the way. What we choose to carry tells us so much about ourselves, what we treasure and what we want to protect. Reflecting on what we carry is, in a way, a homecoming because wherever we are, home can be found within ourselves.
Now that the stories of these materials have been heard, experience them fully in “The Long Journey Home,” a solo art show by Christi Meril. Celebrate the opening night with Christi on Saturday October 3rd. Attendance is complimentary. We highly suggest booking in advance. Secure your place at the Opening Night Reception HERE.
