Saturday, February 27, 2010
Make Space: Installation/Open House at La Reunion TX 2010
Friday, February 26, 2010
Privet Sculpture Project Construction Day 3
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Privet Sculpture Project Construction Day 2
Monday, February 22, 2010
At the End of the First Day of Construction on the Privet Sculpture Project
First Stake in the Ground for the Privet Sculpture Project
Sunday, February 21, 2010
Location for the Privet Sculpture Project
Thursday, February 18, 2010
Privet, Basic Structure and Seed Distribution
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
Spreading the Seed
Sunday, February 7, 2010
The Privet Sculpture Project: Cutting Research
Sunday, January 31, 2010
Make Space: Installation meet up at La Reunion TX
Monday, January 25, 2010
More Local Privet Problems
Saturday, January 23, 2010
On site with Make Space: Installation
Thursday, January 21, 2010
Privet Gone Wild at La Reunion TX
Friday, January 15, 2010
Proposal for La Reunion Tx, Making Space: Installation
Privet: A non-native gone wild
During the time that I have spent at the La Reunion property it has always struck me how much the non-native shrubbery called privet has taken over the landscape. This plant, originally from Asia is very aggressive and hardy. It is used widely in the DFW metroplex as a decorative bush around houses and commercial builds. Unfortunately a single privet bush will produce 1000s of berries each year. These berries are often washed into the city’s storm drains which empty into the local creeks and streams. The result is that most of the creek banks and flood zones in the DFW area are now overgrown with privet. Once a privet bush is established, simply cutting it down cannot kill it. The root ball is like a Hydra, it will send up several new braches for each one that is cut off, totally replacing the old growth within a few short months. Privet is pushing out the native plants that native animals, birds and insects feed upon. This is creating vast areas of monocultures that only support other aggressive plants like poison ivy and insects like mosquitoes
Privet: An experiment in repurposing
The branches of privet are very long and thin, but also surprisingly strong. In this way privet resembles plants like the ocotillo, cane and bamboo, all fast growing plants that are widely used as building materials. Based on these natural characteristics, a team of artists will “harvest” privet branches from the La Reunion property and use them to construct a sculpture. This sculpture will be of a design and scale that calls explores the architectural validity of using privet as a building material. Documentation and photos will be taken throughout the project. After 12 months the sculpture will be dismantled, at which time documentation will focus on the condition of the sculpture and the structural stability of the privet.
If this field test proves that privet can be used as stable building material, it could turn the urban privet plague into a valid source for sustainable and green building materials
Friday, February 20, 2009
Make Space for Artists at the DMA
The Dallas Museum of Art asked me to be one of three judges for the Make Space for Artists: Design a Studio competition. I'll be handing out cash prizes tonight.