Great Salt Lake (in progress)

By a Thread celebrates the Great Salt Lake's vibrant ecosystem. After consulting with scientists who research the lake's biology, we constructed a list of species to include that are endemic or dependent on the lake. Bornhoft illustrated each of the species on the list and printed them on unhemmed fabric. We hope to inspire care for the fragile ecosystem by depicting the lives at stake if we continue to siphon the water needed to feed the lake.

Viewers are invited to gently sift through and touch the banners. This guide can assist in identifying species throughout the installation. The photographs referenced for the illustrations are sourced from the Creative Commons, often taken by citizen scientists. This guide credits the source image photographers with gratitude. The Great Salt Lakeis in the unceded territory of the Ute, Paiute, Goshute, and Shoshone tribes—who have sustainably lived with the lake for thousands of years. The lake's ecosytem is in threat of collapse due to diverted water from the rivers that feed it. All of this is done in the hopes of enabling everyone in the restoration of our inland sea.

Access the images here:

This project is generously supported by the Wake the Great Salt Lake Grant. Wake the Great Salt Lake is a project of the Salt Lake City Arts Council and Mayor’s Office supported by the Bloomberg Philanthropies Public Art Challenge. More info at wakegsl.org.

Brochure Guide:

The illustrated images are available for use under the Creative Commons License CC By-NC 4.0

The complete collection in full-resolution can be viewed and downloaded.

Endangered Species Act: San Francisco Bay Area

 By a Thread 2023 digital print on voile fabric, wood, 3D printed hardware

By a Thread is a celebration of the Endangered Species Act, the most effective environmental legislation for the past 50 years. Though few animals have been delisted, most species avoided extinction because of the legal protection. This collection of drawn plants and animals depicts every species ever federally listed as endangered under the ESA that resides or resided within a 30-mile radius of my studio on the unceded territory of the Muwekma Ohlone Tribe.

Viewers are invited to gently sift through and touch the banners. The accompanying guide can assist in identifying species throughout the installation. The photographs referenced for the illustrations are sourced from the Creative Commons and often taken by citizen scientists. This guide credits the source image photographers with gratitude. The ESA has a history of embracing citizen science by allowing anyone to petition to list a species to the Fish and Wildlife Service. The illustrations were returned to the Creative Commons to increase accessibility and aid further study.

Once drawn, I print these illustrations on transparent fabric. Their ghostly presence shows their interconnected dependence. The shadow of the one before allows the next to be seen. Their unhemmed fabric leaves them vulnerable to unraveling.

Exhibition Guide:

Self-standing installation at Bioneers Conference in 2023:

The illustrated images are available for use under the Creative Commons License CC By-NC 4.0

The complete collection in full-resolution can be viewed and downloaded here.