Their work “Zena Web,” 2011, steel, aluminum & silkscreen, 65" x 72" x 34" was part of an show at the Salem Art Association Bush Barn Center and attempted to articulate meaning about past, present, and future of Zena Farm and Forest. The work had ecological web information embedded in network of shapes and ties that circled key species that represented important ecological roles as well as ideas about human relationships at Zena over the last 250 years.
In 2013 we are interested in continuing to explore the meaning of the landscapes but instead of taking another look at Zena we want to explore themes of landscapes connected to our own birthplaces in NW Oregon and SE South Africa. We also want to continue to explore the dialogue between natural history facts such as the particular names of species in an area, the history of human use at a place, and visions of the future. We are playing around with metaphorical and real meaning connected to ‘nests’ and ‘rivers’ and ‘coasts’ as well as ideas surrounding identity. Anyone interested in potentially creatively exploring South Africa, the PNW, and their own home/nest/origin is encouraged to contact us. We imagine proposing limited exchange travel to each member’s home landscape and influencing each other’s interpretation of that landscape through our collaboration and creativity writ large.
We seek at least one other professor and 2 to 3 students for our project.