In The Length of Daylight, Arizona-based artist Mayme Kratz explores the beauty of organic materials found underfoot during long walks in the desert. From these fragile natural remnants, Kratz draws both medium and muse. Within layers of sanded resin, seed pods, sun-washed bones, wisps of grass, and other overlooked debris become illuminated in suspended patterns. By emphasizing the balance between loss and renewal, Kratz encourages an appreciation of the subtle beauty found in transformation. Her shapes and compositions feel both earthly and cosmic, suggesting that the smallest details in nature can mirror the vastness of the stars. The Length of Daylight reveals Kratz’s desert wanderings in carefully choreographed compositions exposing the cyclical side of nature. Her works encourage us to pause, look closer, and see how even the most delicate fragments of the natural world hold stories of wonder and resilience.
Mayme Kratz has work in numerous public and private collections including the Tucson Museum of Art, the Tacoma Museum of Glass, and the Phoenix Art Museum. In 2002, Kratz was part of an exhibit of works commissioned by the Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art entitled “Quartet: Kate Breakey, Mayme Kratz, Kyung-Lim Lee, and Marie Navarre”, named one of the top local Phoenix art exhibits of the decade. Her work is part of numerous collections, including the permanent collection of the Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art, the Phoenix Art Museum, and the Bechtler Arts Foundation in Charlotte, NC.