Linda steiner @post City linz
Under the Nettles
The planned wall piece explores how we relate to nature — and, more specifically, how much of nature in its untamed form we're actually willing to tolerate. Although we understand ourselves as part of nature, in many places we try to order it, control it, and adapt it to our needs. Often, only the kind of nature that matches our ideas of beauty, safety, and usefulness is accepted.
At the center of the work is a figure who exists in harmony with her surroundings and appears as part of them. She holds a nettle leaf in her hand while a scorpion crawls across her skin. These elements embody the aspects of nature that are often perceived as uncomfortable, disruptive, or threatening. They stand for the wildness and independence of natural systems that cannot be fully controlled or domesticated.
The work raises the question of what place we grant these uncomfortable parts of nature within our society. Can meadows once again become diverse habitats where nettles, thistles, insects, and dead plants also have their place? Can we accept that wild animals such as wolves or bears are part of European landscapes? Or does our appreciation of nature remain limited to those forms that fit neatly into human notions of order?
The mural invites viewers to reconsider existing ideas of nature and to rethink the boundaries between desired and undesired forms of life. It stands as an argument for a broader understanding of nature — one that includes not only its pleasant and controllable aspects, but also the forms of wildness essential to functioning ecosystems. Especially in light of today's ecological challenges, the question of how much space we're truly willing to give to nature seems more relevant than ever.
Linda Steiner | Austria
Linda Steiner is a Vienna-based artist whose versatile practice spans painting, murals, and sculpture. Her work combines introspective imagery with socio-political themes such as feminism and diversity. Characteristic of her practice is a self-taught approach and an ongoing search for new materials and forms of expression.
Recent work from Linda Steiner:
credit: Linda Steiner