SHARON ARNOLD
Dimensions Variable began in 2008 as a collection of writings about art, artists, and art ecosystems but has since become the confluence where all my streams of interest meet from art, philosophy, and critical theory to herbal histories and various folk traditions. When not working on my own independent research topics, I often write essays for artists, galleries, and arts publications. A selection of these may be found through the art writing tab on my menu at the top. You can view the archives from my former art space, Bridge Productions/LxWxH in the link below.
About me:
Sharon (they/her/theirs) is a queer nonbinary essayist and sometimes educator who weaves social philosophy and cultural theory into essays on art, artists, histories, and culture; including a reconnection to ancestral practices rooted in a blend of syncretic Irish, Scottish, and American folk traditions. Their interest is in the way these converging paths share deeply interwoven expressions of knowledge which continue to shape our contemporary lives; especially when nurtured in community, conversations, and connectivity.
Sharon has a BFA from Cornish College of the Arts with a focus on critical theory and semiotics. In addition to various independent curatorial projects and writing, they also ran an online project turned physical exhibition space, Bridge Productions which, until its final projects in 2020, focused on collaborative process-based work, talks, and projects by artists, curators, writers, activists, and performers through various modes of storytelling in online exhibitions, digital residencies, and social media; as well as periodic curatorial projects, in-print publications, and public programming. From 2018-2020 Sharon co-taught various classes at Madrona House Apothecary, including a monthly Plant Medicine Lab, a twice-annual 4-week Restorative Ancestral Practices, and the year-long Earth Medicine Practitioner Training Program with Madrona House founder Vanessa Ainslie. Sharon took two years of the Cóir Mentorship with Lora O'Brien through the Irish Pagan School from 2019-2020, and participated in Asha Frost's Sacred Mentorship program in 2019. Sharon taught from 2017-2020 as an adjunct instructor in the art department at Cornish College of the Arts, with an emphasis on the ethics and practicum of curatorial and exhibition-making; as well as integration of critical, cultural, and political theory and research in studio practices. They have recently been published in Seattle's online arts magazine, New Archives, as well as several artist catalogues for J. Rinehart Gallery. Sharon is currently working on various projects such as Herbs + Woods + Smoke + Water, a guide to cultural histories and contemporary practices of smoke and water cleansing, purification, and blessing which are regularly published on Dimensions Variable.
My complete CV can be found here.
About me:
Sharon (they/her/theirs) is a queer nonbinary essayist and sometimes educator who weaves social philosophy and cultural theory into essays on art, artists, histories, and culture; including a reconnection to ancestral practices rooted in a blend of syncretic Irish, Scottish, and American folk traditions. Their interest is in the way these converging paths share deeply interwoven expressions of knowledge which continue to shape our contemporary lives; especially when nurtured in community, conversations, and connectivity.
Sharon has a BFA from Cornish College of the Arts with a focus on critical theory and semiotics. In addition to various independent curatorial projects and writing, they also ran an online project turned physical exhibition space, Bridge Productions which, until its final projects in 2020, focused on collaborative process-based work, talks, and projects by artists, curators, writers, activists, and performers through various modes of storytelling in online exhibitions, digital residencies, and social media; as well as periodic curatorial projects, in-print publications, and public programming. From 2018-2020 Sharon co-taught various classes at Madrona House Apothecary, including a monthly Plant Medicine Lab, a twice-annual 4-week Restorative Ancestral Practices, and the year-long Earth Medicine Practitioner Training Program with Madrona House founder Vanessa Ainslie. Sharon took two years of the Cóir Mentorship with Lora O'Brien through the Irish Pagan School from 2019-2020, and participated in Asha Frost's Sacred Mentorship program in 2019. Sharon taught from 2017-2020 as an adjunct instructor in the art department at Cornish College of the Arts, with an emphasis on the ethics and practicum of curatorial and exhibition-making; as well as integration of critical, cultural, and political theory and research in studio practices. They have recently been published in Seattle's online arts magazine, New Archives, as well as several artist catalogues for J. Rinehart Gallery. Sharon is currently working on various projects such as Herbs + Woods + Smoke + Water, a guide to cultural histories and contemporary practices of smoke and water cleansing, purification, and blessing which are regularly published on Dimensions Variable.
My complete CV can be found here.