BEMIDJI — When Aaron Squadroni creates art, he’s usually drawn to at least one of three themes: nature, industry or memory.
In his latest exhibit "The Rhythm of the Hill Annex Mine" at the Watermark Art Center in Bemidji, he found all three.
The exhibit is filled with large-scale drawings created using the technique called metalpoint. This art form was commonly used in the past, before the invention of graphite. artists would use lead, silver, gold and other metals.
“If you look at Leonardo da Vinci’s drawings, they’ll be all kind of brown looking," Squadroni explained during a recent "Area Voices" on the KAXE Morning Show. "And that’s because the silver has tarnished over time.”

To draw with metal, artists apply a layer of paint on paper. If the metal is abrasive enough, it should scrape off material from the surface as it moves across. Squadroni used a steel wire brush from a hardware store, making his drawings appear softer and blurrier than a pencil drawing.
This unique method of art is not a gimmick or an afterthought. It's something deeper for him.
“I think I wanted a way to capture some of the colors and just the kind of feeling that I was getting when I was exploring the mines," he said.
Squadroni was able to use some of the mine rock as a tool, as well as a rusty nail for one of the pieces. “It feels like a nice way to capture some of the feel of these abandoned mines, where there’s a lot of old equipment.”
Finding metalpoint
Squadroni began exploring metalpoint art about five years ago. As a kid, he was drawn to silverpoint drawings, a form of metalpoint. The craft interested him because the drawings were detailed and fine. The artform made sense for him to experiment with for a series of drawings about the Kawishiwi River, where copper-nickel mining has been proposed.
His most recent exhibit focuses on one specific place: the Hill Annex Mine State Park in Calumet. He was drawn to the area because — unlike other abandoned mines — much of the mining operation and machinery remained intact.

“Having those buildings and having some of that extra equipment was interesting as a way to kind of play that off of how the landscape has evolved when the mining operations left.”
Squadroni knew the Hill Annex Mine State Park was only temporary and has since learned the park will close. "It was kind of a placeholder before they got somebody to start mining again.”
Seeing inspiration
Squadroni finds inspiration all around him — walking in nature or observing and focusing on the places he visits. “If you're kind of open to letting [in] what you see, being curious about it and thinking about it ... you'll find things that strike you as surprising or interesting," he said.
This includes certain patterns he finds when observing mining landscapes.
“[They] are like a visual language," Squadroni said. " ... I'm looking for opportunities to get in images of that and capture it."
He credits his grandma for helping him begin to see the patterns in the world. She spent time with him in nature when he was a kid. Walks in the local park or nature area included pointing out flowers, birds and other things in nature.
“She was always excited when I would point something out that she hadn't noticed. I think it's just kind of a way of being in the world where you're appreciating things that you might otherwise overlook or take for granted.”
Making it personal
For this exhibit, Squadroni wanted to combine the abstract with the specific. He hopes people get a sense of place and feel the presence of the mine in the work, but he also hopes they will see ideas and forms that will resonate with their own life.
“Drawing people in and having them think about their own memories and experiences and then tying that into some specific things that are actually related to the mine — hopefully that can kind of merge and that people can feel a little more personal connection to what the mining landscape is," he said.
The Rhythm of the Hill Annex Mine exhibit will be at the Watermark Art Center until April 25. More of Squadroni’s work can be found at his website.
Tell us about upcoming arts events where you live in Northern Minnesota by emailing psa@kaxe.org.
Area Voices is made possible by the Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund and the citizens of Minnesota.