Trees In Concrete – David Brooks at MOMA PS1

Joe Zammit-Lucia — Tue, 01 Jun 2010 19:14:58 +0000

MOMA PS1 describes itself as a public exhibition space that “devotes its energy and resources to displaying the most experimental art in the world.” It’s current exhibit – Greater New York 2010 – runs until October and exhibits the work of emerging artists including an intriguing installation by David Brooks. The artist has assembled some plants and sprayed them with concrete. It is described in a New York Times article by Roberta Smith as follows: “David Brooks has earnestly assembled a representative chunk of tropical rain forest plant life and deluged it with concrete — something between an indoor Robert Smithson rundown and a landscape by George Segal — in protest of the destruction of nature by industry. The encased plants will die and decay, collapsing in a kind of slow-motion happening.”

David Brooks at MOMA PS1. Photo: New York Times

David Brooks has, it seems, been intrigued by deforestation for some time. The work below was presented in an exhibit entitled “New Perspectives in Contemporary Art” organized jointly by Affirmation Arts and Columbia University. The piece is entitled “Breathtaking Vistas of Deforestation” and the medium described as “60 laser copies laminated and sanded’ (yes, truly).

With the increasing importance being given to deforestation as a contributor to climate change, such work may acquire increased relevance.

A Long White Line

joezl — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 22:47:28 +0000

The beauty of conceptual art is that it sheds the fixation with the ‘art object’ and embarks on art as the exploration of an idea. Many conceptual artists have taken this further to create meaningful social interventions through their art. Eve Mosher is one such artist.

Last year, she embarked on HighWaterLine – a conceptual art project exploring the impact of climate change on New York City. She calculated the high water line following a rise in sea level by 10 inches. Using white chalk paint, she walked round the whole city marking this high water line and, by implication, the parts of New York City that would be submerged. Where she was unable to paint a line, she planted lighted beacons.

: Eve Mosher walks around NYC painting her High Water Line

The aim of the project was, clearly, to raise awareness of one of the impacts of climate change on New York City. During her 5 month walk across the city she engaged with people on the streets, explained what she was doing and what the issues were, handed out leaflets, ran discussion workshops and embarked on other outreach activities to bring attention to the issues.

: Eve engages New Yorkers in her art project

As a work of art, HighWaterLine could not be further from the elitist and exclusive world of the art gallery or the museum. Its aim is to intervene in the daily life of ordinary people:

“High Water Line seeks to engage people on the street, in the neighborhoods where they live, work and play. People will encounter the chalk line and the beacons while going about their daily lives. The work is an intervention in routine – the public’s as well as my own. This aspect of the piece ensures catching the public’s attention, and it provides easy and direct access.”

: “What the heck is that?” you can hear them all asking

The completed project showed that meaningful parts of New York City would be submerged if we continue on the current climate change trajectory

: High Water Line – Lower Manhattan

Eve Mosher has addressed climate change in other projects. In one installation, a series of colored strings stretched across a space from one map to the next. They represented the mass displacement of people that will result from the effects of climate change.

: Mass Migration

The Third Ray » New York City

Trees In Concrete – David Brooks at MOMA PS1

A Long White Line