Forest Warrior MUSAC
Photograph
5 x 10 inches
2017

Forest Warrior MUSAC was first exhibited at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Leon Spain in 2017, as part of the Hybris show curated by Blanca de la Torre. It was presented as both an art performance and a stand-alone sculpture in the gallery for the duration of the exhibition. The ethos of this piece is a botanical conservation anti-superhero wandering the landscape protecting native trees. It was inspired by the 1982 Seven Thousand Oaks project by Joseph Beuys, which was also part of the exhibition. Forest Warrior was conceived as character set in a dystopian future where they rescue trees from abandoned lots and plant them in the now crumbling cityscape.

The structure of the sculpture has several components: a garment woven from bark, a collapsible structure made of wood and a garden of live plants in soil contained in conical pockets. Forest Warrior was worn by a local performer during exhibition’s opening reception who handed out live Oak tree saplings to those who committed to planting and caring for them. Later, several attendees sent me photos of their tree in a pot as proof of their pledge.

Forest Warrior WWU
Photograph
4.5 x 10 inches
2018

Forest Warrior WWU was shown during the 2018 exhibition Modest Forms of Biocultural Hope, curated by Hafthor Yngvason of the Western Washington University Gallery in Bellingham. The work was presented as a stand-alone sculpture in the gallery and also as a performance art piece for the show’s opening, which consisted of handing out Fir tree saplings to those who committed to planting and caring for them. This second iteration of the project was presented with an updated garment woven from Willow bark, a luscious collar made with leaves and lichen, in addition to a tree-panting bag fabricated out of a repurposed canvas tent.

The structure of the sculpture has several components: a garment woven from bark, a collapsible structure made of wood and a garden of live plants in soil contained in conical pockets. Research into local native plants was facilitated by Heidi Zeretzke, Lead Gardener at WWU.

Forest Warrior Tailleur
Photograph
7 x 5 inches
2024

The Forest Warrior Tailleur is a garment woven primarily from Willow bark (Salix genus), which I grow in my garden in Vancouver Canada. It was worn for a street intervention during Fashion Revolution Week, focusing on using tree bark as a viable alternative to "plastic" vegan leather. Willow cuttings were given to the public to plant in their own gardens with the caveat that they take care of them. Recipients were informed about how these basketry Willow varieties “root up” very quickly in water and require little care once established in soil. This simple action opened the door to conversations about the importance and longevity of trees in our environment.

Past iterations of Forest Warrior have been presented as a wearable sculpture shaped as a large exoskeleton on wheels filled with native trees. Pulled by a single human, it presents as a botanical conservation anti-superhero wandering the landscape protecting local tree species; a champion tree-planter cape fit for the legacy of Joseph Beuys’ Seven Thousand Oaks project. As an art performance it hands out free tree seedlings to those who promise to plant it and commit to its life’s growth.