While making this work, Amanda Martínez⁠ made a point of recording her thoughts: "I thought about cycles in time, how my late grandfather was born 100 years ago in 1922 and all the similarities in our circumstances: pandemic, dire housing markets, political climate with fascism on the rise. I thought about how migration used to be a natural part of life. I thought about the phrase “salt of the earth”, how it implies being grounded or humble while saying one is so due to coming up directly from the ground. I thought about how many of us could stand to touch a bit more earth.⁠ ⁠ The title of this work, “Touch earth”, is a play on the phrase “touch grass”; an insult popularized online for telling someone they should “get out more often”. I wanted to explore the idea that the phrase implies a disconnect from reality, but also the hypocrisy that the source of its critique is someone else who is online.⁠ -- Amanda Martínez⁠ ⁠ "Touch earth" is included in Amanda Martínez's "querencia" which is on view through October 1, 2022. The gallery is open Tuesday - Saturday, 11am - 6pm. ⁠ ⁠ Image:⁠ Amanda Martínez⁠ "Touch earth", 2022⁠ Cast earthen brick (soil, straw, sand, water, pigment) on found lumber pedestal⁠ 10 x 20 x 11 1/4 in⁠ (25.4 x 50.8 x 28.6 cm)⁠ ⁠ Courtesy of the artist and HESSE FLATOW. Photos by Jenny Gorman. ⁠ ⁠ #amandamartinez #earthenbrick #touchearth ⁠