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TETSUMI KUDO. “CULTIVATION OF NATURE & PEOPLE WHO ARE LOOKING AT IT (DETAIL)” (1970-1971). PLASTIC, ARTIFICIAL SOIL, GLASS, COTTON, AND RESIN. 13” X 10 1/4” X 10 1/4”. PHOTO BY THOMAS BARRATT. COURTESY HIROKO KUDO, THE ESTATE OF TETSUMI KUDO.
© 2021 ARTISTS RIGHTS SOCIETY (ARS), NEW YORK / ADAGP, PARIS.
to erect a sky-scraping vertical forest on Crescent Heights where her current Airbnb is, but she does have the renewed sense3
to stand up tall, to think vertically, to filter the particles and to spread the love.
FROM DUSK “TILL” DAWN, AND THEN AGAIN THE NEXT DAY
To start her day, Sister Mary closes her eyes4 and imag- ines herself in a state of complete and utter relaxation. Before, when she would do this exercise: she’d imagine box upon box of Chanel, a butler bringing cuvée after cuvée of Cristal, then more Chanel and more cuvée until she passed out in a pile
of happiness. But like we mentioned, those fantasies are fetid and false—yesterday’s news! Instead, she imagines symbolic, soul-nurturing stuff, like lushness, like verdant and inviting.
Here’s what Sister Mary’s next iteration of research teach- es her: no garden comes without work. You’d think that would
be obvious, but as a seasoned New Yorker, Sister Mary isn’t much for obvious. She’s much for sophistication. Alas, where did sophistication get Sister Mary? To the shrink, that’s where5. So, after learning of the gardening imperative of drawing a plot and assuring its viability, a la The Romans, you gotta till the land!
Here then, another civilization that worked wonders in the fields of green: The Ancient Egyptians. This lot were pioneers of several agriculture practices—most relevant to this aimless essay: tilling. Fortunately for Sister Mary, the Egyptians docu- mented their process of using hoofed animals to prep their soil through paintings. These artworks, created on tomb walls, were said to help guide the deceased to a paradisal afterlife, further reinforcing the notion that happiness is the easiest to obtain while surrounded by greenery. Sister Mary had never given much thought to an afterlife. She was living every god damned day—who cared about what came next?—but again, maybe that wasn’t the wisest of barks to chew? Maybe there’s something to cultivating peace so you might be received with less kerfuffle in the great beyond?
3Sense and Sensibility. Jane Austen. Thomas Egerton, 1811. Novel. A coming of age story following the Dashwood sisters, who are forced to move out of the estate they grew up on with their widowed. mother. The scene in question? On a rainy night, as Marianne is running down a hill towards her garden gate, she falls and injures herself. However, waiting to help her is John Willoughby. He carries her home, and this sparks the beginning of their romance.
4Another Year. Mike Leigh. 2010. Film. Tom Hepple, a geologist, and Gerri Hepple, a counsellor, are an older married couple who have a comfortable, loving relationship. The film observes them over the course of the four seasons of a year, surrounded by family and friends who mostly suffer some degree of unhappiness. The scene in question? While Tom and Gerri are at their garden allotment Mary arrives unannounced at their home. Her car has just been written off and she is upset. When Tom and Gerri return they are unhappy to find Mary at their house. Gerri explains to Mary that she feels let down by her earlier behaviour towards Katie. Mary apologises and weeps. Gerri gradually extends a degree of warmth to Mary, suggesting that she should seek professional help and inviting her to stay for dinner.
5Much Ado About Nothing. William Shakespeare. 1612. Play. Much Ado About Nothing is a comedy centered around two love stories. The scene in question? When Hero knows Beatrice is lurking in Leonato’s garden, she tricks her into thinking Benedick is in love with her. She does so by staging a conversation with Claudio and Don Pedro when she knows it will be overheard.
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