Description
ARTIST STATEMENT
My work explores the intersections of systemic oppression, environmental decay, and the targeted erosion of human rights. By fusing recycled plastics directly onto domestic kitchen trash bags, I create a tactile metaphor for how marginalized bodies—specifically women, children, and people of color—are treated as disposable by systems of power. This series serves as a direct response to the regressive policies and hostile rhetoric of the Trump administration, documenting a reality where human dignity is treated as refuse.
The choice of medium is deliberately raw and domestic. Trash bags and discarded plastics carry the weight of consumer waste and societal neglect. By melting and fusing these materials, I mirror the toxic, suffocating atmosphere imposed on vulnerable populations. The synthetic, non-biodegradable nature of the plastic represents the enduring, long-term trauma left in the wake of these political actions.
ABOUT THE ARTIST
Donna R. Pattee-Ballard is an American fine artist and former art educator whose provocative, personally political work spans over three decades. After earning her Bachelor of Fine Arts from Ball State University and a Master of Fine Arts from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, she launched her professional exhibition career in 1991.
Pattee-Ballard’s practice is defined by deep thematic explorations. Between 1992 and 2007, she created and exhibited four landmark bodies of work: Abandonment, Becoming, Uninvited, and The Sacred Feminine. Following a prolonged hiatus from her personal studio practice—during which she dedicated her energy to mentoring the next generation of creatives as a photography and art instructor—she has returned to her artist roots. Pattee-Ballard is currently creating new work that directly confronts and critiques the contemporary United States political landscape.
© Donna Pattee-Ballard