recovery noun / plural recoveries
1 : the act, process, or an instance of recovering especially : an economic upturn
2 : the process of combating a disorder (such as alcoholism) or a real or perceived problem
A brief history of 2020: pandemic, police violence, protest, political division, economic recession, catastrophic wildfire. Through these events, landscape simultaneously fostered and required recovery – but the process is far from complete. Analogous to resilience, restoration, and regeneration, recovery is a return to some previous state – perhaps a new normal – and ever more complicated when applied to a medium as dynamic as landscape.
Together with artist-in-residence, David Buckley Borden, the 2021 Overlook program will explore the transformation of recovery as it applies to productive landscapes. How do we care for the land? How does is take care of us? What is the meaning of recovery in the face of continual trauma?
Collaborators: Masayo Simmons, Audrey Ruckwitz, and Ian Escher Vierck
Already this year, Oregon has experienced mega-drought, record-breaking heat waves, and a historic wildfire season. As the climate warms, these effects will only exacerbate, and land burned by wildfires will increase, especially in the Wildland Urban Interface (WUI: an area where houses meet or intermingle with undeveloped wildland vegetation). Homes and communities are not ready for wildfire, especially as homes continue to be built and rebuilt in fuel zones. This installation responds to this problem and hopefully prompts the question: how we can embrace wildfire and learn to live with it?
Fuel Load
In collaboration with Hannah Chapin
The stump is an integral part of a forest ecosystem and has a rippling effect that exceeds far beyond itself. During its decay or after a fire, a stump lends energy and provides a habitat for mushrooms, insects, mammals, birds, and many other organisms. This installation is a reflection of recovery after death and the connections that extend past mortality.
Ripple Effect
In collaboration with Hannah Chapin
Western Tiger Swallowtail Charm
Western Tiger Swallowtail Charm: swallowtail butterflies fluttering around caught our attention. These indicator species follow disturbances and symbolize recovery after wildfires which inspired this friendship charm. The use of burnt edges, remnant snags, and faded spots within a hazy yellow sky depicts a seemingly desolate post-wildfire scene. However, a fuse symbol joins the butterfly together and represents the possibilities of new life opportunities after destruction.
In collaboration with Hannah Chapin
Tool Customization
