Maker | Designer | Educator

Work

Engulfed

I am fascinated with the ways the natural world interacts with the built environment. As we as humans, try to tame and control nature, nature fights back slowly but surely.  One tangible and amazing example of this is when trees in urban settings grow in and around architectural features. Over the years, I have collected pieces of trees with fences embedded in them. A saw mill could never make use of this wood, and even wood chippers cannot handle the embedded metal, so they are assumed to be useless garbage.

I have taken these pieces of wood and milled down in plane with the fence to reveal the way the tree intertwines with and incorporates the fence.

Video created for the Society of Arts and Crafts for the kickoff event of CraftsBoston 2021
While walking in the city, I have become fascinated by instances of trees growing through and engulfing parts of the built environment. I started collecting samples of this phenomenon and have begun exploring the possibility of this semi-natural composite material.

While walking in the city, I have become fascinated by instances of trees growing through and engulfing parts of the built environment. I started collecting samples of this phenomenon and have begun exploring the possibility of this semi-natural composite material.

Another example of this uncommon collaboration between humans and the trees.

Another example of this uncommon collaboration between humans and the trees.

Engulfed
The beginning of the slow process of flattening a large slab with embedded steel.

The beginning of the slow process of flattening a large slab with embedded steel.

Note: I did not personally cut any of the trees involved in this project. Each piece has been found or given to me by a friend.

Note: I did not personally cut any of the trees involved in this project. Each piece has been found or given to me by a friend.

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