Linda Bond

For over two decades my artwork has addressed issues of social concern. It primarily explores the mediated experience of global conflict. Recently my attention turned to an unexpected subject. Walking in the nearby woods I discovered a scattering of blue feathers on the forest floor, the evidence of a predator attack. The splendor of these bird feathers was a quiet reminder that beauty always exists. They are remarkable in the way they look and for their intricate microstructure. I began to explore this new imagery with small, then larger drawings of these and other feathers I’ve collected and have named this body of work “Turning Towards Beauty”.  Since this project began I have gathered many feathers, some from as far away as Rome. In addition, friends have brought others for me to use. Rendering their diverse forms in detailed colored pencil drawings on Mylar is like a meditation. The translucent, silky surface of the Mylar allows me to apply color in thinly layered veils as I observe the detailed nuance of my subject. Making these drawings continues to be a retreat from the other challenging bodies of work I pursue in tandem.

Linda Bond’s drawings and installations have been exhibited widely including a 2022 twenty year retrospective at Drexel University. Other exhibitions include Kean University, Clark University, Delaware State University, Brandeis University, Simmons College, the Brattleboro Museum, the Cape Cod Art Museum, B’NK’R Munich, Germany, Museo de Arte de Zapopan, Jalisco, Mexico, MFA in Boston. Her 2021 commission at Eastern State Penitentiary Historic Site and her 2009 commission for Boston University Howard Gotlieb Archival Research Center remain on view. She has received awards from the Pollock-Krasner Foundation, Puffin Foundation, Chenven Foundation, Artist Resource Trust, Foundation for Contemporary Art and the Massachusetts Cultural Council. Her work is included in the Feminist Art Base at the Brooklyn Museum. She was a Scholar at Brandeis Women’s Studies Research Center from 2013-2024 and was on the faculty of the Massachusetts College of Art & Design for twenty five years.