Iris Hazelton is a multimedia artist, educator, and tattooist dedicated to combating speciesism and consumerism through her work. Taking inspiration from scientific illustration, field guides, botany, and bones, her practice incorporates both illustrative and dimensional elements across a wide array of materials and techniques. Iris holds a BA in Studio Art and Environmental Science from Pitzer College, and has shown work in Washington, California, and Massachusetts. She loves to look at birds, paint in her sketchbook, and ride her bike.
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Artist Statement:
My practice is grounded in my background as an ecologist and naturalist, and studies the relationship between indigenous American species and the anthropogenic factors causing their decline. From the disastrous monocultures of factory farming to the intentional cultivation of invasive species for ornamental purposes, so many facets of the contemporary American lifestyle can be directly linked to a precipitous decline in biodiversity. I aim to draw attention to the species that belong in our ecosystem, especially those that have been entirely forgotten from our cityscapes as urbanization has taken root. What do we lose when we accept these losses as an inevitable byproduct of human activity? How can we reshape our approach to environmentalism to prioritize indigenous life forms and lifestyles? What relics of colonialism must be destroyed in order to move away from speciesism as a society? Through ceramic, paint, print, fiber, and mixed media, my work explores these questions while celebrating the splendor and resilience of the natural world.
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