Hidden Ecology: Looking at the Flip Side of Eradicating Invasive Plants 2012 For two weeks water hyacinth plants grew in the gallery next to sculpture made of hyacinth paper. At the third day dragon flies began hatching from the tanks and flying around the gallery. Viewers witnessed a hidden ecology as the spiders, larva, and leaches emerged from the woven root mats of the plants. Invasive aquatic plants found in the Manchac Swamp was the focus of my most recent body of work and research. The pieces I'm showing focus on the Water Hyacinth a plant that threaten the biodiversity of Louisiana's bayous. I was interested in the small gesture of removing portions of these plants and utilizing them as studio material.
Viridescence through Desiccation The cutting, collecting, boiling, and processing of banana fibers was a large part of this piece. I was committed to building a temporary structure entirely of 4' X 8' sheets of banana paper wrapped around a lashed bamboo armature. Suggestive of vernacular architecture, it proposes this is a viable material for adequate shelter.