Past, Present and Future Landscapes of the Chippewa Valley, a Personal and collective “Earthwork”
The project has 2 parts:
1. The exhibit itself
2. The process involving the community + land leading up to the exhibit.
THE FUTURE: A Community Outreach “Earthwork”
Location: inside exhibit and Workshop
We select (5) places along a map in the valley. The sites chosen will feature one of the following: natural rivers, urban active areas (e.g. a sports field) and agrarian areas. Communities who live within these areas will be informed by letter to imagine what the future landscape might look like. The letter will include an invitation to workshop a dream image of their future landscape. Or a reply in writing or video might be acceptable. The sketches could be made by a child or could be a napkin sketch. Together the all the images will be assembled to create a future “earthwork” presented in the gallery.
Needs: Outreach, printing, postage and mailing list of potential participants. A digital submission in a google form could supplement as a submission form. Final submissions will likely be a projected video which unfolds on a map. Imagine a vibrant visual collage.
THE PRESENT: Collage/video projection “Pathways + Stations”
Location Imagined Outside: a projection on a wall facing the street 30’ - 50’.
This component is of a video showing “slow TV” of a walk through the (5) sites (pathways) and the process of paintings of the (5) sites. The walk depicts an invented trail system depicted by my own movement through the (5) places. Where possible, the walk honors topography, land features and history of waterways in Chippewa Valley over property lines or municipal boundaries within the vicinity. The stations (scenes) I choose to paint will also be depicted in the video in collage or animated form.
Needs: permission of landowners, projection on exterior of building or could be scaled down inside, benches - custom built benches possible
THE PAST: palimpsests and paintings with community earthwork at the center of the room
Location Inside Gallery Space: A low lit room arranged in a circle.
10-12 large collage/paintings with their own individual lights are around the perimeter of the room. In the center of the room, movement in the form of a round light, partially obscured. The light is obscured by a bouquet of dried plant material and/or urban refuse taken from the (5) places. A “bouquet” is hanging from the ceiling and/or perhaps sculpted into a room divider. …an image of the community earthwork unfolds from the light in the center of the room. Circumventing the community earthwork are my own reflections, in representative paintings of the (5) places.
Needs: paint, permission of landowners, gallery space, projection, assembly of sculpture (assistants)
