Endless Orchard
found electrical wire, water-based oil paint, oil pastel, fabric on
30 x 30" deep cradle wood panel
2018
I took part in a social and environmental justice project called The Endless Orchard in New Orleans. This meant planting fruit trees throughout the city, accessible to everyone. It is a living art installation designed to provide the urban neighborhoods with a shared resource and to create space for connection. "We believe that cities could be like communal gardens," write the creators of this Fallen Fruit alternative orchard based on ecology, food justice, and community. We also planted trees in the Lower Ninth Ward in the Bayou Bienvenue Wetland, an area that needs replanting because of the severe wetland loss. Fruit is a transcultural symbol of sharing, and the citywide orchard of 300 trees will be free for all to pick. The final painting in the series was based on this transformation.
The Orchard revivified.
