Above is my favorite tree at Rensing. I gave her a visit today and after saying hello, turned around and headed back the way I came. A little further down the trail I felt pulled to explore the little nook below. A shiny glint of something caught my eye (found out later it was the mineral mica), I crouched down by the water's edge to get a closer look and a wonderful thing happened...
I had one of those rare moments in adulthood when you find yourself doing something you did as a kid, like being hunkered over a stream looking at rocks, and you're getting dirty and it starts to rain but you don't care because you're lost in curiosity. You are connected to that long-since-used child brain that runs on wonder. It is such an important thing to be reminded of. -Layla Luna
I was excited to
travel to the comfy backwoods of Pickens, South Carolina where I knew I’d have
the opportunity to fully immerse myself in my artistic practice at the Rensing
Center. This type of immersion is difficult to do with a busy teaching schedule during
the academic year. Luckily, I was able to procure ten rich and productive days.
Immediately after arriving at the Rensing Center, I found myself seduced by the
captivating scenery and environment. There is a sense of serenity and stillness
here that simply isn’t accessible in urban life. The milieu of the Rensing
Center, the land, setting, and power of the environment, would be the catalyst
for my work over the next 10 days. The peaceful landscape includes twenty some
acres of green grass, goats, cows, and a surplus of hundred year old trees.
Amidst this vast acreage is a wonderful nature trail that
I leisurely hiked several times each day. On my very first hike I began to
record and document my environment along the trail. Elements and variables
recorded along the path included; trees, slope of trail, leaves, sounds,
weather, the creek, temperature, plant life, and flowers. By reinterpreting the
information along the trail through patterns, I was able to translate the land
into another physical form - creating a hybridity between topography and art.
The patterned artwork on the left shows documentation that
visualizes elements recorded along the nature trail. Every 10 steps are marked
with a specific color that designates downhill, uphill, flat, and extreme downhill.
The number of rectangular and horizontal shapes in each column represents the
amount of trees visible along the edge of the path. The artwork reads from top
to bottom, starting with the top left corner of the composition. I’m currently
rendering drawings on top of the print that correspond with the amount of
leaves and branches fallen along the path. All of this data is recorded in the
notes seen left of the artwork.
~Kelly Monico | Denver, Colorado
kellymonico.com/
