Salt Forms / Mary Mattingly

Mary Mattingly
Staten Island, NY, United States 
 
Salt Forms, 2022
Sculpture & Photography, Variable Dimension 
 
Salt Forms is a series of sculptures and photographs that trace the slow formation of salt through water-based processes. Developed between New York City and Santa Fe, the work reflects two contrasting conditions—rising water and water scarcity—using steel discs submerged in saline environments to record the passage of time. As salt accumulates and corrodes the metal, each surface becomes a visual record of environmental change, shaped by water, air, and shifting conditions.
 
Mary Mattingly is a New York–based interdisciplinary artist and 2023 Guggenheim Fellow whose work explores ecological relationships through sculpture, photography, and participatory public practice. Her projects, including Swale, a floating food forest in New York City’s waterways; Waterpod, a self-sufficient living structure; and the Flock House Project, a series of mobile habitats, address questions of water, food, shelter, and climate adaptation. Her work has been exhibited at institutions including the Brooklyn Museum, Storm King Art Center, the International Center of Photography, the Barbican, and the Palais de Tokyo, as well as international biennials. Grounded in research and collaboration, her practice approaches art as a tool for investigation and collective imagination.