Land Art Project

This tree once was full of life and now it appears to be at the end of its lifecyle.  The other plants have not been affected by whatever this tree has. Its roots are exposed and the outer bark has been shed like a second skin. There is no color or sign of life existent - the branches are fragile with every drop of moisture withdrawn.  What happened here?  There is a brush near full of color and life. The tree's roots are outstretched towards the shrub as if reaching for the nutrients it needs so desperately. 

    I chose this subject because it stood out to me. I really enjoy looking at trees shape, size of truck, and the vast limbs that stretch out and their colorful blooms that decorate our streets and parks. Also, the fact that I see life and death next to each other reminds me about life in general. All things that live do die, maybe some earlier than others, tragically.

Yoko Ono

Yoko Ono was born in 1933 in Japan. She was born into a wealthy family but she learned early on to be an assertive person when she and her family lost everything in the bombing of Japan in 1945. She learned to stand firmly and be decisive and assertive in her actions by modeling her mother. They had to be strong to survive-they had become beggars- while living with some family members in the mountains after the bombing.Yoko moved to New York later and went to high school then to a local college. She studied art and exhibited her work in New York Galleries. Her earlier works in the 1960's through 1970's were more an avant-garde style.  Yoko, today is recognized as an influential artist who pushes the boundaries of the art, film, music and theater media; moreover, she participates in philanthropic contributions to the arts, peace and aids outreach programs. 

  .

Farm Lab in Los Angeles

It was a good experience to see the unique and interesting collaborations of nature mixed with urban life. Viewing the Farm lab website is most definitely helpful in educating a person about the purpose of this company yet I did not grasp a few of the concepts personally until seeing with my own eyes and talking with an employee. " Preserving the balance of nature among the city life" is a quote from the website. If I had the time I would go so far as to attend one of the workshops offered  just to learn additional information about the various projects and their significant contributions to the inner cities of Los Angeles.

This is a recycled wood bin which was referred to as an agbin ( I think) This bin was used for something else previously and recycled, and used for new growth with the city. I see recycling as a necessity. Treating our planet better.. why kill another tree for the purpose of another manufactured wood. Leave less of a carbon footprint and make the most of the materials within our reach that are recycleable.  This remind me of the idea of wine barrel containers that are recycled after their use into planter bins, too. The Temecula Wineries do this with there old wine barrels and also sell them to any interested parties from their vineyards. 

Maybe this means we need greener vehicles.

 The "Not Another Cornfield" project's purpose was to plant and grow corn in soil, that was full of toxins, in hopes of extracting the toxins out through the growth of corn. Of course after the corn was grown and removed it was disposed of but the field was cleansed of its inpurities.  The picture below is where once the corn was grown.  It is now an open landscape full of growth, free of toxins, and is an available space created to visually please. There is a pathway for dog walkers and alongside are signs posted reminding pedestrians to clean-up after their dogs.

This field was previously,  "Not Another Cornfield"

Another city is Possible

This area appears to be where workshops occur.  This was in the building / parking garage area near  unit # 4.

The Museum of Jurassic Technology / David H. Wilson

Rotten Luck, "The Decaying Dice of Ricky Jay"

The Museum of Jurassic Technology is an educational institution dedicated to the advancement of knowledge and public appreciation of the lower Jurassic.  David Wilson and his wife Diana Drake Wilson are the owners of the museum, and David Wilson said that the word museum originally meant a spot dedicated to the muses, a place where man's mind could attain a mood of aloofness above everyday affairs. Well,that is exactly what this couple focused on for this museum. There is a large amount of exhibits that range from art, natural history, philosophy, and anthropology but the factual claims of many of the exhibits lack strong credibility. Nonetheless, the museum attracts over 18,000 visitors yearly and the objects in the museum spur conversations and comments among the people. In the picture to the left, there is an write up about what these die are made of-chemically made of- and for the reason they are decaying.   Now, dice are made from a similar solution that is not toxic and are cheaper to produce.