Demonstrating the relationship between earth experienced and humanity felt, Michael Henry Hayden channels the innate poetics of material and process into physically mysterious, quietly communicative objects. Intrigued by the world and human interactions with it, Hayden makes sculptural facsimiles of familiar natural and almost-natural elements; he then turns to paint, either heightening the imitation of the source material with meticulous illusory application, or turning away from naturalism all together, affirming the objects’ status as both of and apart from the natural world. Using an array of media, finishes, and processes, the artist forms versions of realities where his physical presence–first as observer then as creator–becomes essential to an understanding of our world as both subject and material.