The Dowser Married the Alchemist, part of LAND/ART, was the first collaborative exhibition for artists Becky Holtzman and David Ondrik. The show was on display at SCA Contemporary Art from June 19 – July 19, 2009.
“Artists Becky Holtzman and David Ondrik have long collaborated behind the scenes – Ondrik has shot photographs along the Rio Grande bosque while Holtzman collects downed branches and twigs for her sculptural work. Walking and talking together, within the framework of art-making, has led to an ongoing discussion about the many contradictions implicit in humans’ relationship to nature: helping nature repair versus leaving it alone, what it means to capture and/or mimic nature, and the benefits and costs of both managed and uncontrolled wildness. While these conversations have informed the creation of their individual work, the two artists have not previously worked together to explore their ideas. The Dowser Married the Alchemist, opening in June at SCA, is their collaborative exploration of land as a catalyst for human intimacy.“