Joshua Newbend
Humanity Seeks Higher Ground
2026

Humanity Seeks Higher Ground considers the significance of humanity in building alongside, and as a part of, nature. Through the marks of my hand and the malleability of the earth, the clay, I create structures like spikes or tendrils reaching out and up. These forms show the memory of the clay body through its curves and tiny folds, as well as the negative space of my hands gripping and prodding the material. Digging into the ground of the site, the work will stand on its own, using itself and the ground as support. In making and installing this work, I am asking what humanity has done, is doing, and can do with nature. Clay as a material is directly connected to nature and the earth as a physical embodiment of the ground beneath our feet. Once fired, it is stronger and more permanent than civilizations throughout history, as evidenced by the remains of societies around the world in ceramic pots and figures. These civilizations all used this natural material for human needs to support and grow their way of life. As each civilization has fallen or evolved, I am curious as to how nature and its gifts may have played a role. Roughly one square foot of ground represents a tiny fraction of the changed landscape we live in and on. Is it growth, a claim of space, or something more fractured? Will it stand the test of time and pressure or will actions of humanity play a factor in its end? On land that is directly affected by human interest and greed, highly susceptible to hazards made worse by human-driven climate change such as sea level rise and harsher weather, how will this work represent a small portion of a world where human hands and the very earth upon which we sustain ourselves come together?