“Shin’s project also draws attention outward, bringing awareness to the impact of human intervention on the landscape around Olana in the past, present and future. “I think about everything this tree saw during its 140 years,” Shin said. “It’s trying to tell us a story.” As she often does, Shin communicates that story through her materials — in this case, the poignant union of leather and hemlock by the artist. ””
— Meredith Mendelsohn, The NY Times
“Known for her labor-intensive installations of everyday accumulations, Jean Shin broke new ground in ‘Everyday Monuments,’ a commission begun in 2007 at the invitation of Joanna Marsh, curator of contemporary art at the Smithsonian American Art Museum in Washington, DC. Conceptually, the installation added elements of narrative and a national scope to Shin’s interest in community participation, while it met the challenges of working in a miniature scale.”
— Sarah Tanguy, Sculpture Magazine