WOOD INSTALLATIONS
During the COVID-19 pandemic, I have turned to the woods in order to continue to create art as the community studio I work at has been shutdown. Using fallen branches as a medium to build large shelters has been quite therapeutic and inspiring from a creative standpoint. The feedback I get from the community has been outstanding and it is nice to be able to create something that elicits such a positive response from the viewer. Unfortunately the NYC Parks Department deemed these structures as fire hazards and dwellings for homeless people to move into, thus they were destroyed shortly after completion.
Shelter #1 - Inwood Hill Park, Manhattan NY
My first attempt at making a shelter out of fallen branches took some trial and error but I was able to create a lean-to. First making the frame, tying it together with some vines, and then covering it with fallen branches. The fire pit and bench were an afterthought.
Shelter #2 - Inwood Hill Park, Manhattan NY
Going for a larger, more ambitious shelter, I needed to modify how I was going to build the frame. Using weaving techniques I was able to build a more stable support structure with tension and then filled in the rest with branches as needed. This one even included a corner dog door so my Chocolate Labrador Retriever could get in and out to chase squirrels and greet other dogs and people as needed, and not destroy all the work I had done!
Shelter #3 - Inwood Hill Park, Manhattan NY
After Shelter #2 was dismantled by the parks department, I took some of the wood from that build and made this tall teepee like structure. Funny enough a massive thunderstorm rolled through after I completed it. To my surprise it actually kept my dog and I pretty dry until the storm passed!
Shelter #4 - Hillside Woods, Hastings-on-Hudson, NY
I got to a point where I was very frustrated with putting in all this time and effort to have the parks department dismantle my work that everyone else was really enjoying. So I decided to go elsewhere to build. North of Manhattan, my wife grew up in the small town of Hastings-on-Hudson. I noticed a large teepee structure had been untouched for several years in Hillside woods where we would often take our dog for a hike. Thus I explored the area to find a spot to build my most ambitious and challenging piece yet.
The amount of attention this piece received was quite unexpected, but was very welcome. People love to go in an explore the different chambers. It is especially whimsical for younger kids as it is massive structure for them to play in. The local paper even ran a story about it and now I have been selected to be featured in the RiverArts summer 2020 exhibition, YardArt.