The Texas Blackland Prairies is a ecosystem that spans from North Texas to San Antonio. This ecosystem has been nearly destroyed by modern agriculture and urbanization of the land, leaving only 0.64% of the original ecosystem protected. This Prairie is considered the most endangered ecosystem in North America today. The current generation may be the last with the opportunity to preserve even small remnants of the once extensive natural ecosystem. Unless action is taken, this prairie will be lost.
Intended Obstruction is a piece that I started in July, at the Clear Creek Natural Heritage Center. It was an ongoing piece where I shifted and re-placed benches that were put all around the park. My goal was to use them to help nature and not just be an object for human use. In this piece above the benches became a natural bridge for species that needed to cross the water. Though it wasn’t my intention, nature decided otherwise.
Preparing for Lift Off is a piece that discusses the change in the seasons, and the migratory birds of North Texas are preparing for their move south of the equator. And as some know, light population today affects migratory birds flight patterns and can confuse and kill birds. During migration the bright lights on large buildings attract birds, in the same way bright porch lights do, and by doing that can cause fatal collisions. I hope this piece will bring attention to that issue occurring in migratory birds.
Natures Invitation is a call or plea for people to finally let nature into their everyday lives. Nature needs to be invited in and welcomed with open arms, if we as a society would embrace nature, we could start the most curtail steps in helping repair the damage we have done to nature. If we don’t welcome nature into our everyday lives we will loose nature completely.
Dried Native Grape Vine, burlap rope
This piece discusses the protection that nature provides. The piece is structured mimicking the nest structure of a Weaver Bird. While it provides the protection it needs it also represents the chaos in everyday life in our current world. I wanted to emphasis the spiraling of the nest in reference to our current lives in 2020 during the pandemic.
Mankind’s Infiltration of Natures Monument is a piece that discusses how we as mankind have infiltrated and disrupted the ecosystem in the span of a few decades. And how we will have such an impact on nature that our mark will forever be seen throughout history. No matter how much nature will take over or reclaim its space there will always be a fragment of mankind’s mark left behind.
Decomposable is more of an interaction piece of artwork. The goal of this piece was to make this nest like structure to make it a future home for the wildlife around the area. Only after one month a family of rabbits called it home. Sadly after a few months after the rabbit family called it home, the park which it was located took down the piece. Which is an example of how other organisms in our space use a space for safety and protection. While we as people look down on them and destroy there homes and ecosystems.
This piece is titled “Fallout” to represent how the Great Plains of America are represented as a great ecosystem in our country and how it is doing so well. But in reality the structure and ecosystem of the Great Plains is dying back and falling apart. In fact in Texas it is the most endangered ecosystem in the entire state. With only 1% of the ecosystem left in the state.
