Bullies in Our Woods, 2008
invasive vines, trash, video, and audio collected in our city parks,
16′ x 12′ x 14
Bullies in Our Woods is a woven tangle of invasive vines and trash harvested in the city parks of Pittsburgh. Visitors are invited to enter the tangle and lie down in a sunken cushioned area and gaze up through the opening in the top of the structure at a video orb floating above to view sky scenes shot through the trees in the parks. Separate tracks of sound meshing sirens and hockey practice with ducks and brooks and more represent the wide range of life inhabiting the woods. A quilted “skirt” of picnic tablecloths as well as paint cans, rugs, siding, shoes, etc. nestle alongside the nest. The protected, nest-like interior encourages reflection on the stresses urban woods sustain and raises questions about implications for stewardship.
See video clips to the right.
