Page 20 - WTP Vol. VII #6

Forest
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“This piece developed out of my relationship with nature and reverence for the envi- ronment and its natural cycles. From my point of view, nature is the source of all life.
Man has strayed from living within the balance of the natural world and altered it through technology. The result of this intervention is an imbalance. We have tipped the balance to the point that we are on the brink of environmental destruction. Fittingly, the structures are made of handmade abaca and flax paper, a bi-product from plants, viewed as ethereal yet common and ironically, tough and long lasting. River willow is used as the armature for the structures. The forms themselves appear alive and in various stages of life and decay. The skin-like surface of the paper seduces and sometimes repulses, creating a tension. These elements work together to provide visual clues and layers of meaning. It is my intention that viewers walk through the forest in order to envelop themselves in the environment and ponder the role of nature in our lives. Like the forest in a state of constant change, ele- ments are modified, added, or removed as the installation is shown at various venues.”