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a literary journal published by the Black Earth Institute dedicated to re-forging the links between art and spirit, earth and society

Mary Edna Fraser


Fossil Fuel Map

World map showing potential oil and gas (purple and brown) and coal (red) deposits in off-putting colors
batik on silk, 48″ × 55″, 2022

This batik on silk map by artist Mary Edna Fraser shows the areas around the world that potentially have the world’s oil, gas, and coal deposits, based on data from the US Geological Survey, European Commission, and other government sources. Purple and brown areas represent oil and gas, while red areas show possible coal deposits. Conservative in methodology, the map indicates the minimum bounds of fossil fuel on our planet. Developed by Alice McGown and the Leave it in the Ground Initiative, the art showcases the extent of carbon energy sources that must stay in the ground if humanity is to prevent catastrophic climate change. For more information, visit www.leave-it-in-the-ground.org.


Hurricane Florence

abstract painting of Hurricane Florence approaching the eastern coast of the US, as seen from space
batik on silk, 41.5″ × 53.5″, 2018


Eye of God

an abstracted blue eye painted on a background of repeated foliage
batik on silk, 53″ × 51.5″, 2007

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The pioneering work of Mary Edna Fraser has been collected and exhibited worldwide. Her silk batiks and oil paintings range from panoramic to plein air. The common thread in her career of four decades is environmental awareness. Her art has supported the efforts of Charleston Waterkeeper, Coastal Conservation League, SC Environmental Law Project, Water Missions International, The Nature Conservancy, Sierra Club and Environmental Defense Fund. Her blog, Delete Apathy, is a venue for activism, from local to global. NASA recognized Fraser as their Artist of the Year and she was featured demonstrating batik in DC at the Smithsonian Folklife Festival. The Verner Award was presented in 2016, South Carolina’s highest honor for an artist. Fraser has lectured internationally in Indonesia, Taiwan, and Australia. Venues such as the National Academy of Sciences, Duke University Museum of Art, and the National Science Foundation have hosted over 100 of the artist’s one-woman exhibitions.


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