Friday, May 8, 2009

Sacred Sites in the Urban Jungle

Sacred Sites in downtown Oakland was an amazing collaboration with Lauren and my students from our workshop series at Art is Moving "CLICK HERE"
It was also an continuation of my own series of Eco Art, which I call "Tree Shrines," a site specific project that I want to take around the world.'CLICK HERE" to check out some of my sites.

For me this workshop class was about honoring the trees,that are killed and used by us. We had an amazing time as a class. We created art around dead trees, phone lines (telephone poles) that intrinsically connect all of us. The funny thing is my boyfriend suggested this a year ago as a joke. In translation I love honoring the dead.
Also, an important aspect of this project is the viewer. Cliche as it is "we want them to stop and smell the roses." or just to be conscious of their environment and how little things can make a big difference. As we were created these shrines many people who walked by were smiling! One homeless guy laughed and asked us if the steel pole Lauren and Patti were making into a tree would grow.
This project as a whole is the resurrection of panspsychism.

what does panspychism mean? "CLICK HERE"
For more research on this philosophy check out this amazing book from one of my professors at JFK Christen DeQuincy. He taught an amazing class called Paradigms of Consciousness. This book takes an in depth look at panspyschism Radical Nature: Rediscovering the Soul of Matter




Lauren and I will be doing a Eco-Trail in the Bay area this month. We will be making a call out to artists. If you want to join let us know. Also, our next workshop series will be starting soon. It is fun and inspiring. We invite all to join or drop in.
"CLICK HERE"

After this class, Sacred Sites in the Urban Jungle, I will never look at telephone poles the same way ever again.

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