Hendl Helen Mirra

Miller’s views (2001) is a series of paintings depicting ten different views, observed from the windows of the Green Windmill, near Nottingham, United Kingdom. Each canvas mirrors the size of the window through which the mill’s sails and surrounding sky are revealed in successive moments. A white linen thread, fixed to the sail’s frame, alludes to the various ways a sail might unfurl depending on wind strength. Catching the light, the thread forges connection between nature, symbolized by the sky’s blue tone, and human labour, embodied by the rotating arms of the mill. The sequence of the paintings suggests a continuous rotational movement, further enhanced by an accompanying repetitive soundtrack. This audio was composed through the circular motion of two microphones, one drawing closer to and the other receding from a guitarist – thus reproducing the rhythm and motion of the windmill's turning sails. Hendl Helen Mirra (1970, Rochester, USA)’s practice is rooted in nature and grounded in physical experience. Through long walks, she establishes an embodied relationship with the landscape. Her work cultivates an osmotic link between a fragment of nature, its visual representation, and its acoustic echo. As she describes it, it’s not enough to merely ‘be in the wind’ but rather ‘to be the wind itself.’