Fire as Medicine. Stewardship. Cultural Burning. Indigenous people across the globe learned to manage and live in harmony with fire over thousands of years. From my roots in the Midwest, I try to envision the bountiful grasslands that flourished a mere century ago. As a contemporary basket weaver, I reflect on the universality of baskets made with local grasses. In Harmony with Fire is an adaptation of traditional coiled grass baskets. Tiny glass threads are bundled and shaped in a kiln-forming technique. Waxed linen is used to stitch the grass-like bundles of glass together. This is the story of the annual spring growth of the emerald-green grass, the summer drying, and the ceremonial burning allowing the cycle to repeat anew.
