The Following images are the images I think will appear in my thesis paper:

fig. 1 Detail of Warner River Landscape, Creeping Charlie, Horseweed, and Wheatgrass

Glass Mosaic and plants

Carolyn Rordam, 2010

fig. 2 Detail of Troublesome Object-Various Grasses

Plaster, glass, and Grasses

Carolyn Rordam, 2010

fig. 2 Detail of Untitled 1 – Crabgrass, Fleabane, Horseweed

Plaster, glass, various plants

Carolyn Rordam, 2010

fig. 4 New England Scenery

Painting

Edwin Church, 1826-1900

fig. 5 Vivarium

Nurse Tree, and Vivarium

Mark Dion, 2002

fig. 6 Partially Buried Woodshed

Stucco shed, and dirt

Robert Smithson, 1970

fig. 7 Tourist Trap

Photo

Carolyn Rodam, 2010

fig. 8 Old 103 Bridge-Stand Facing West, Gaze Down the Road and See Our Past

Photo of Found sculpture- Old bridge of route 103 decommissioned in 1960s

Carolyn Rordam, 2010

fig. 9 Troublesome Object-Various Grasses

Plaster, glass, and Grasses

Carolyn Rordam, 2010

fig. 10 Third Landscape

Garden

Gilles Clément, 1997

fig. 11 Chandelier

Samples Found in a Third Landscape, Acrylic bubbles

Gilles Clément, 2006

fig. 12 Repair and occupy an abandoned boat

Stockholm

Lara Almarcegui, 2003

fig. 13 The Wave

Water, Plexi-glass

Hans Haacke, 1964

fig. 14 Condensation Cube

Plexi-glass and water

Hans Haacke, 1963

fig. 15 Blue Sail

Fan, silk cloth

Hans Haacke, 1964

fig. 16 Ice Stick

Refigeration tube

Hans Haacke, 1965

fig. 17 Monument to Beach Pollution

Found trash on beach

Hans Haake, 1970

fig. 18 DER BEVÖLKERUNG (TO THE POPULATION) (missing- image reproduction poor searching for better images) Garden instillation

Hans Haacke, 1999

fig. 20 Personal Biospears

Plexi-glass and plants

Vaughn Bell, 2008

fig. 21 Untitled 1 – Crabgrass, Fleabane, Horseweed

Plaster, glass, various plants

Carolyn Rordam, 2010

fig. 22 Troublesome Object-VariousGrasses

Plaster, glass, and Grasses

Carolyn Rordam, 2010

fig. 23 Warner River Landscape, Creeping Charlie, Horseweed, and Wheatgrass

Glass Mosaic and plants

Carolyn Rordam, 2010

fig. 24 Schematic drawing of Watering tank

Rendered by Dudley Giberson, 2010

fig. 25 Small Boundaries – Purslane and Grass

Glass mosaic, plants

Carolyn Rordam 2010

fig. 26 Agriculture; The Foundation of Civilization – Species unknown
Glass mosaic, plants

Carolyn Rordam, 2010

fig. 27 Bag-in-tree

Photograph of found sculpture

Carolyn Rordam 2009

New work for July

Create art that...

...never stays the same.

...must be maintained.

...grows out of control.

...is cracked.

...has weeds.

...could be replanted.

...is life.

...needs mowing.

...blooms and dies.

...must be watered.

...could be harvested.

...could be an ecosystem.

I have been working on a better presentation of my work. Something a bit more polished. Here is the result.

Why I chose these plants:

I was inspired by a plant thriving on the sidewalk in Boston on Newbury St next to AIB. I thought it looked familiar, I had seen it in my garden I thought. Turns out I was right. As soon as I go home there is was in the garden.

Beyond that:

This plant is known as Purslane- it is edible, it is higher in Omega 3 fatty acids than spinach and has a high concentration of vitamin C in the stem. According to the web site I found it has the same nutritional benefits of okra.

http://hsny.blogspot.com/2009/07/edible-weeds.html

Photo from Sidewalk at AIB

It has a manual interactive water administering device. (a copper cup with a large dropper). Instructions for dispensing the H2O will be included.

The frame is aluminum so the holding structure won't fall off the wall and hurt someone. (I'm just so glad when my piece fell off the wall at AIB no one was there!)

I have also upgraded the holder for the plant I have sealed the plaster so it won't break down as quickly.

New Artist Statement

There’s the old heroic story, where man is at war with Nature; the romantic version,

where Man merges spiritually with Nature; and, more recently, the environmental morality tale,

in which Nature pays Man back for his transgressions, yet all of them share a premise we know to be false

but we can’t seem to shake: that we somehow stand outside, or apart from nature.

Michael Pollan

My work is a mediation of time, and the incessant and irrepressible impact of nature, despite mankind’s intrusions. It reflects the fascination I have with the details of natural systems and the cycles of growth and rebirth within those cycles. Through photographs and performance I am investigating the role of entropy in the cycles of birth and resurrection in the new England area. Through sculptures I explore critical issues involving introducing a natural system (living plants) into the traditional presentation of a work of art.

May 15th Opening...How Did it go?

Well I had the opening and it was not all I had hoped. This is totally my fault, I didn't do nearly enough pre event promotion. Okay! honesty here; I did very little. I sent post cards out very late and didn't send them to any galleries or local art people. That said I did try something out of my comfort zone so I have to give myself credit there. Experience IS the best teacher.

Oh! did I mention my camera broke. So I have to rely some video and stills from my friends. I fixed the camera and went back later in the day and took shots of the labeled work without people. So as soon as I download and edit the video and get some photos from another friend I'll be posting more later.

I think it was a good idea and I really liked what I did to pull it off I guess the 'if you build it they will come' philosophy is not the one to take on this sort of thing.

Here is an excerpt from my journal of what I wanted to happen I have been working on this idea in my head since February:

Proposal for an exhibition of found sculpture at the location of old Route 103 Warner NH:

I will create an art exhibit showing the forgotten road route 103 in Warner NH. This place represents to me as an artist the results of how the natural world takes over the cultural structures of man’s world once man has stopped maintaining it. Theses places are ecologically significant because they represent biodiversity during a time that is losing species at a rate of 27,000 per year. (Wilson, Edward O. The diversity of Life, The Belknap Press of Harvard university press, Cambridge, Mass.1992)

Humans need to become observers of our ecosystem if we are to “save the planet” we have no real appreciation that we are part of a very complex biology of which we know so little about.

What is needed to make this happen:

Permission from the town of Warner and the neighboring residence to hold this event?

(Turns out I needed no permission from anyone it is public land. I did talk to the guy who owns the house next to the spot. He was all for it.)

A date should be set May 15 (is my choice)

Print cards invitations

What will be at the exhibit:

The exhibit will take place at the bridge that crosses the Warner River off of Morris Loop. On display will be the found sculpture of route 103. Also on display will be photographs of other places this phenomenon has happened. Also on display will be the sketches and prototypes of an installation work by the artists about the nature/culture dichotomy.

This is what I ended up with:

I brought my sculptures to place them in this context. I like the boxes better on a wall here they blended in too much. But the 3D work seemed to be a nice addition to this made it a sculpture garden.

Art Opening this Saturday

I am having an opening!

On Saturday @ 10am in Sutton, NH.

I am creating a opportunity for people to come to the location of old route 103 and see my found sculptures. I'm planning on labeling the significant works, complete with instructions on which direction to look. We'll see how it goes I don't expect a huge turn out but I do know a few who are coming. I'll be documenting the process. More to come...