Support within a community

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4-20-2006

Support within a community

Lance Neirby

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ROCHESTERINSTITUTEOF TECHNOLOGY

A Thesis Submittedto the

Faculty

of

TheCollegeof

Imaging

ArtsandSciences

In

Candidacy

fortheDegreeof

MASTER OF FINE ARTS

Support Within

a

Community

By

Lance

Neirby

Chief Advisor: Leonard Urso

Leonard A. Ursa

Date:

H

~/

'8

2/Jo

·

~

I

\

Associate Advisor: Eileen Bushnell

Eileen Feeney Bushnell

Date:

7fkay

~5J ~)

Associate Advisor: Juan Carlos Caballero-Perez

Juan Carlos Caballero-Perez

Date:

l\.~ ~

/

ZOO(

Associate Advisor: Clarence Sheffield

Clarence B. Sheffield Jr.

Date:

7IJtl"

711

,

Thesis Reproduction Permission Statement:

I understand that I must submit a print copy of my thesis or dissertation to the RIT

Archives

,

per current RIT Guidelines for the completion of my degree. I hereby grant to

the Rochester Institute of Technology and its Agents the non-exclusive license to archive

and make accessible my thesis or dissertation in whole or in part in all forms of media in

perpetuity. I retain all other ownership rights to the copyright of the thesis or

dissertation. I also retain the right to use in future works (such as articles or books) all or

part of this thesis or dissertation.

Print Reproduction Permission Granted:

I

,

Lance Neirby

,

hereby grant permission to the Rochester Institute of Technology to

reproduce my print thesis or dissertation

in

whole or

in

part

.

Any reproduction will not

be for commercial use or profit.

--,--.

Signature of Author:

Lance Neirby

Date:

<..J0

Pf.L /9

02

0

0

G

Nourishing

sentiments of excitement andanticipation,Imade_my

journey

from

myfamiliarsurroundings oftheMidwesttoattend graduate school atRochesterInstitute

ofTechnology. Ihad been envisioningthismoveforseveralmonths, andIwaseagerto

continue

developing

_myartistic skillsingraduate school. When Isteppedoncampus for

thefirst

time,

Iwas surprisedtofindthat thefeelingsofexcitementandanticipationhad

vanished_onlytobereplaced

by

nostalgiaforthehomethatwas sofamiliartome.

Brushing

the

feeling

_aside,I attemptedtoregain comfortin_mynew environment

by

organizingvarious aspects of_mynewlifein Rochester. To my

dismay,

thefeelingsof

yearningfor

familiarity

lingered.

During

thenextfew_{months, these}cravingsforthe

Midwest begantobeerasedasImetnewfriendsandbecamemoreinvolvedwiththe

Metals Department.

Throughoutthefirstyear ofgraduate_school,Ioftenthoughtof_{that experience,}

strugglingtospeculatewhatfacilitated myrelief ofthefeelingsof

longing

forthepast

and adesiretobeinvolved. Irealizedthat thefeelingsofnostalgia coincided with_my

desireforsupportwithin_mynew environment. IbegantounderstandthatwhenIleftthe

Midwest,

Iuprooted_{my foundation in}thenetwork of supportthathad developed in high

school andundergraduateschool. After arrivingintheeasternUnited

States,

Ineededto

findsupport and a sense of

belonging

in_mynew circumstances.

During

the summerbefore_{my final}year atRochesterInstituteof

Technology,

I

embarked uponthe taskof

developing

atopicfor_mythesis. Iwantedtocreate athesis

topic thatwas aninfluentialelementinthedevelopmentof_mycharacter

during

graduate

school as well as auniversal topicthatviewers couldrelatetowith ease. I founded_my

others who viewed_myworktobereminded oftheirinextricablelinktosupportwithin

theirown community.

Themost successful piece of_{my first}year exploredhow humans balanceupon

thelifestylesoftheir_{ancestors, Balance}onOur

Ancestors,

2004 (Fig. 1).

My

brothers

andIcamefroma

long

lineoffarmersand cultivatorsoftheland. Aswe grew_{up in}a

countrythatwas

becoming increasingly

industrializedandfocusedon_technology,we

becamethefirstgenerationtoendthe traditionofagrarianlifestyle. Eventhoughwe

chosetodeviate fromthepathsofour_ancestors,we stillfelta_strongconnectionto the

land. Irealizedthatour generation was not_commencinganew

journey

intothemodern

world; rather,welearnedtobalanceuponthe

history

ofourancestors and_{merely form}a

new pathfromthe

journey

they

had beguncenturiesbefore.

I wantedtoincorporatethisconcept of

balancing

our presentlifewith our

ancestralheritage into_mythesiswork

by focusing

upontheagrarian ways ofthepastfew

generations of_myancestors since

they

immigratedto theUnited States in 1866. When

myancestors encountered expansive grass prairies as

they

migratedto theplainsofthe

upperMidwestfrom

Norway

and

Holland,

Iimaginethat

they

foundcomfortinthe

sublimenature ofthese_sprawlinggrasslands. Ialso founda sense of_securityinthe

hilly

grasslands of

Minnesota,

whereI spenttheearliest years of_mylife. Atthat timeIwas

too_youngtounderstandthe_meaningoftheuniquebiologicalstructure ofthe tallgrasses

or_why

they

grew so closetogether. Amove athousandmilesto theeasternUnited

States nearly

twenty

yearslaterrekindled_mymemoriesofthe_securitythatI found inthe

grassfieldsof_mypast. Iwantedtoincludethisconnectionto thelandIshared with_my

Withtheideaoftheinclusionofagricultureintheevolutionof_mythesis,I strived

tocreatethe tangibleformsthatwouldbeinvolved inthe

display

of_mythesis. Ichoose

tocapitalize ontheformsIbeganto

develop during

_myfirstyearatRochester Instituteof

Technology.

During

_{this year,}Ibecame intriguedwiththe_{characteristically}unique

growingnodes of

long

stem prairie grass. Thisarea,whichisresponsibleforthegrowth

of

leaves,

is locatedattheattachment oftheleafto the stem(Fig.2). This evolutionary

traitallowsthegrowthofgrassestobeundisturbed

by

_grazinganimalsthat tend to

damageothertypesof plants_containingbudsofgrowth cellslocatedatthe tipsofthe

branches. Iwantedtogivetheformofthe_growingnode avitalroleinthepresentationof

mythesis,asit isresponsibleforself-preservationandsuccessfulproliferationofthe

species.

Inadditionto thelocationofthe_growingnode, anotherdistinctivetraitof

long

stem prairie grassesistheclose_{proximity in}which

they

coexist. Thestructural

intimacy

of afieldof

long

stem grasses allows eventhe

tallest,

_thinnest,and mostfragileplantsto

survive. Throughadaptation andevolution,

they

have foundstrengthinnumbers. Even

thoughanaturalfield ismade_upof countless grassstalks,I envisionthefieldas

individuals_standingtogetherforsupport. Like

humans,

grassesaretoofragiletostand

againsttheelements

by

themselves. Iaimedtoexplorethischaracteristic ofdependence

in_mythesis

by

_creatingafieldofhundredsof_grasses,juxtaposedtoafield consistingof

a singlebentandbrokengrass. Acompositionofthismanner would allowtheviewerto

confronttheconsequencesof a world constructed ofindividualismwithout

harmonization. Theoverallintentionof_mythesiswasto demonstratethe

importance

of

Inordertocreate a piecethatwoulddemonstratethesignificanceofsupport

within a_{community, I} wantedto

keep

theoverall exhibit uncomplicatedandfocused

by

creatingan

installation

of numeroussimilarforms. Ifeltthat thispresentationwould

establish a stronger messagethan_creatinga moretraditionalmulti-piecethesis.

After Ibecameaware oftherelevanceof_{the grasses,}Iresearchedthestructure

andtype thatwas commontowhere Igrew_upas well aswhere_myancestorsfarmed. I

believedthataccurate representationofthe trueformswasimportant inorderto

bring

truthand strengthto thepresentation of_mythesis work. Thespecificgrass Ichoseto

representiscalledFoxtail Bristle

Grass,

orSetaria Italica(Fig. 3). Thisspecies

originated around4500 BCEinChina.1

Itisa

highly

adaptableplantthatcanlivein

varyingclimates. After populating Eurasiathroughnaturalmeans and

trade,

thegrass

found its waytoNorth Americainthepockets andtrousercuffs ofthesettlers and

immigrants.2

Currently,

therearethirty-twospeciesinthegenera

Setaria,

inhabiting

everycontinent_{excluding Antarctica. It}canbeharvestedas a_crop forhumanand

livestockconsumptionorleftinthefieldsas forageforanimals. Bristle_{grasses, along}

with all othergenerainthegrass

family

Poaceae,

evolved as_grazingplants. The

Poaceaegrass

family

consistsof grasses_ranginginsizefromground coverto giant

bamboos.

By

capitalizingontheessentialform ofFoxtail Bristle

Grass,

Iwas ableto

employanexteriorforminaninteriorspace(Fig. 4). Thisorganic grassformalso

allowedmetoinvestanorganic _qualityintothestatic metalthatmakes_upthestructure of

1

Foxtailoriginatedin Chinain4500 BCE. 2

MigrationofFoxtail to USinimmigrantspants cuffs. 3

theplant.

Individually,

Idecidedtoconstruct each grass's stalk out offourgraduated

sizes of copper

tubing

and wire_rangingfromsixmillimetersin diameteratthebottom

sectionto three millimeters atthe

top

section. Theoverallheightofeachgrass stalk

variesfromthirty-sixinchestoforty-twoinches. Theentire stalkhasalineartexture

runningparallelwiththestalk. I castthe three_growingnodes ofeachplantinanickel

silver_alloytofocusattentionontheirplacement, structure,and significantroleingrowth. Thesenodes alsohavethesamelineartextureand are solderedinline inthemiddle

regionsofthelowerthreesections. Aslender sixteeninch

long

spear-likeleafunfoldsin

a v-likefashion fromaroundthe

top

of eachofthelower_{three sections, thus}

delineating

theconnection ofthelarger lowersectiontotheonemillimeter smallerin diameter

adjacentupper section(Fig. 5). Theheadofthegrassisconstructedof copper meshto

createa

light,

tubularorganicstructure. Thissemi-transparentheadsits_atopthefinal

copper stalk section_measuringteninches

by

threemillimeters. Theentire process

yielded216completestalksof grassthatweresituatedwithin37 steelbases.

Aviewerthatspenthours scrutinizingtheoverallconstruction of_mythesiswould

probablynotbeabletorecognizethat_{every step in}theconstruction processhadadistinct purposein my attempttocreatethe

familiar,

_comfortingfeelingsofsupport. One ofthe

most obviouswaysinwhichI decidedto_conveythis

feeling

wastobuildanentirefield

ofFoxtail Bristle Grass. Eachgrass symbolizes

individuality

and_{survival; the}entire

field,

ontheother

hand,

signifiesindividuals standingtogetherforsupport. Thecountless

stalksofgrassforma_communitywhere strengthand supportflourish. Themassive

Iemphasizedthe

feebleness

of a singlestalk,existingonits_own,

by displaying

a

single,bentand unassembled stalk of grassthatstoodinabaselocatedsixfeetfromthe

edge ofthefieldofgrasses (Fig. 6). The factthatthegrasswasbrokenandunassembled

showedthatone

individual,

existinginsolitude cannotsurvive withouta_communityof

support.

Viewing

thepieceinalarge areaallowsittoengagetheviewerfrom adistance

anddrawthemin. The exhibit compelstheviewerstoscrutinizetheformsforseveral

reasons. Theexterior naturalformofthegrass employs astatic materialtointriguethose

intheinteriorspace ofthegallery. Itried tofurthercreate an_organic,outdoor

feeling by

placinga oneinchthicklayerofblackwoodshavingsinthefour inchspace _separating

thebases fromeach otheraswellasthe_galleryfloor(Fig. 7). Ihopedthat thislayout

wouldenableviewerstobecome lost intheorganic nature ofthepiecewithout

being

influenced

by

thecommonalitiesofenclosed spaces.

Another

intriguing

formthatdrawsviewersinisthealertnessoftheuprightand

focusedheads. Ifeelthat thisstructure givesthegrasses ahumanistic_{quality; the}

extensionoftheheadsprojectstheslender stalks upward and_visuallypullsthestalks

vertically awayfromthefloorasif

they

are aware oftheirsurroundings.

Lastly,

the thickanddensemass of_{the angular,}yet_softlycurvedleavesconnects

theindividualgrassesandencouragestheeyeto_continuallymove and scrutinizethe

entirepiece. Ibelievethat thesequalities aresuccessfulin_makingtheexhibit

interactive

withtheviewer

by

_causingtheviewertomoveand respondto the

intriguing

formsthat

When Iwasintheprocess of

designing

thebasestoholdthe grasses,mymain

objectivewastoallowfortheexpression of a_{rolling landscape. This}would provide

underlyingmovementbelowthegrasses(Fig. 8). Each baseprojectsthegrasses_away

fromthe_galleryfloorand ontothesame plane astheviewerinordertopresentthe

grasses at an_engaginglevel. Thisdesignlent itselfto thecompletion of_myobjective,

however,

after_consideringthenumber ofbasesthatIwouldneed,Idecidedtolinkthe

basesto thehistoricalLand

Survey

System. I feltthat thiswouldfurtherconnectthe

basestoahistoricaltruth thatwould continueto

develop

theconceptof_communityin_my

piece.

Beforetheadvent oftherailroad andlaterthegraveland paved_road,prairie

grassesknew onlynaturalboundaries. Intimelandwasclaimed andfencedinfor_grazing

or

farmland,

thus_sectioninga natural ecosystemintogrids of ownership. The United

States begantobesectionedinto squaretownshipsin 1785 whentheBureauofLand

ManagementimplementedtherectangularPublic Land

Survey

System.4

Townships

generallyrepresentedsixmiles

by

six_miles,or36square miles. Theborders ofthese

townshipseitherfollow linesoflongitudeandlatitudeor naturaltopography.

My

thesis

incorporatedthis ecological configurationofboundaries

by

_allowingafieldofgrasstobe

subdividedintosquareplots. Thegrassesthemselves

defy

theunnatural confines oftheir

basesastheirleaves interminglethroughideologicalfence lines. The

interacting

grasses

alsorepresentthecreation of communitiesdueto theconsequence ofindividuals'need

forsurvivaldespite_sectioningoflandareas.

Efficiency

and_accuracywere_{very important}throughouttheentirecreation

processof216grasses containedin 37 bases. Thefirsttime thepiecewas placedinthe

six

by

sixlayoutwas

during

the

installation;

therefore,thefinal success ofthepiecedid

nottakeplace untiltheconclusion ofthecreation.

Only

upon

installation,

wasthe true

message of a_communityapparentin_mythesis.

Composition,

as well aslayoutand

forms,

canbeapowerfultoolusedto create a

messagefromtheartistto theviewer.

Therefore,

I chosetouse copperandnickel silver

forspecific reasons.

Initially,

Iselectedcopperforthisprojectdueto_{myunderstanding}

ofthematerial's_readilyavailable nature andlowcost.

Also,

copper wirecomesin

graduatedsizesthatsuitthe

descending

stalkdiameterofFoxtailBristle Grass. Thecolor

pallet of copperis_warm,

inviting

and susceptibletoheatpatina, whilethecoolersilver

color ofthenickel silver_growingnodesprovidescontrastandemphasizes_potentiality

overtheother architectureofthegrasses. Copperandnickel silverpossessaninherent

permanencedueto theirchemical_makeupandresistancetocorrosion. This ideaof

permanenceallowsmetoutilizetheformoftheFoxtail BristleGrassinamanner

uninhibited

by

time. Althoughtheformofthemetalgrasseswillnot change over

time,

thesurface ofthemetalwill_continuallyrespondto thedifferentmoisturelevelsofthe

environment. This abilityofthegrasses'

colortoreactovertimecombineswiththe

organicformtoinstill lifeina staticmaterial.

Multitudes ofcommunities surroundindividualsglobally. Themessage of_my

thesis istoinsistthatindividualscannot exist on_{their own;}

they

aredependentonthe

supportfromotherindividuals. Forexample, a singlebladeofFoxtailgrass will notbe

abletowithstandharshenvironments suchas wind and rain. Inconditions such as

these,

a singlebladeofgrass would _{simply break.}Survivalwouldbe impossiblewithoutthe

support of other organisms ofits kind. Inthesame_way,humansrequire other

individuals

forsupport and proliferation. We formnumerous communitiesbasedon our

beliefs,

activities,and

interests.

Throughout

history,

communitieshaveencouraged

survival of

individuals

_{congregating in}groups.

Subsisting

in largegroupsallows people

tospecializeinareasinwhich

they

have abilitiesand

interests.5

This

interdependency

allowsthe_communitytobecomeefficient anddevelop. Strengthexistswithinthese

communities, andthe_groupisabletoaccomplish morethanoneindividual could achieve

alone.

In lightofthepostmodernist_view,I creditseveralartists whohavebeen

inspirationalandthought_provoking

during

thecreation of_mythesis. Robert Smithson

dealswithexteriorforms inaninterior spacein his 1968 installationcalledA Nonsite

(Fig. 9). In Smithson'spiece, the exterior rockformsare engagedinaninteriorspace

by

enclosingtheminsideoftrapezoidalboxes. Inthepresentationof_mythesis

body

of

work,I endeavoredtocreate

traditionally

exteriorformsofFoxtail Bristle Grass which

thriveintheconfinementsoftheencasementofthe_gallerywalls. Thegrassformsof_my

thesisworkandthenatural rockformsofSmithson's A Nonsitebothshareanallegorical

referenceto theiroriginal exteriorlocation. Thisallegorical referenceto theexterior

originofeachpiece acts asthelink betweenthepresent piece andtheoriginal natural

formsand

ideas,

whichformedthepiece's

inspiration.6

5

Sykes,Brian. The Seven DaughtersofEve (New York: W. W. Norton&_{Company, Inc., 2001),}p.13

1-135.

6

Owens,Craig. "The Allegorical Impulse: Towarda_TheoryofPostmodernism."Art After Modernism: Rethinking Representation. Eds. Brian Wallis. New York: The New Museumof

Contemporary

_{Art, 1991.} p.203-235.

Thenext arthistoricalassociationIdetectedwasapieceproduced

by

Agnes

Denes,

an_earlypioneerofboththeenvironmentalartmovement and conceptual art. In

Wheatfield-A

Confrontation,

Battery

Park

Landfill,

NY

1982,

Denesplantedand

harvestedtwo acres of wheatfromthesite ofalandfill in Manhattan'sfinancial district

(Fig. 10). Itmarkeda_reclaimingofland_onlytoone

day

havethe sitebe builtupon

again. Agneschosetouse_organic, naturalformstoconstruct monumentalartwork

aroundthe

globe.8

Although mythesisinstallation isnon-organic in_composition,Iused

theinnateandnatural formsofthegrasstocreate a macrobiotic environment.

During

2004,

1 studied work

by

Hans

Haacke,

aGermanartist concerned with

systemsandprocesses.

During

1963to

1965,

Haackedisplayed Condensation

Cube,

a

plexiglasscube _containingafewgallons ofdistilledwater(Fig. 11). The

humidity

inside

of aplexiglassboxreacted withthechangesinambienttemperaturedueto thenumber of

viewersthatwerepresentintheroom. Haacke 'scondensationcubeisadidactic device

still pertinentto_{understanding contemporary}life andconceptualart. I see analogous

aspectsin_mythesiswork wherethe systemof changehasbeenreversed.

My

installation

compels_{the viewers,}ratherthanthe artwork, toreactinresponseto themassive

assemblageofgrassesthathave beenplacedbeforethem.

Perhapstheartistwhohasbeenmostinspirationalinthecreationof_mythesis

workisFred Wilson. Fred WilsonisanAfrican-American installationartist who explores

forgotten ideasand artifactsinmuseum archives.Anexample,

Cabinetmaking

1820-1960,

arrangesacollection of ornate woodenchairsbeforea_whippingpost,which was

7

McEvilley,Thomas._"PhilosophyoftheLand."Artin America (November 2004):p. 158-164.

8

McEvilley,p. 158-164.

9

www.artnet.com/Magazine/features/cone/cone8-6-9.asp.

reportedlyused until 1958 (Fig. 12).The arrangementtellsviewers ofthecountlessblack

victims who experiencedthecruciform_whippingpost and of white peoplewhoviewed

slaveryas

customary.10

This shocking

display

evoked enormous feelingsofhorrorand

remembrancetoa

devastating

periodinhistory. TwoaspectsofWilson'sworkhave

been_extremely

influential

in_myown artisticdevelopment. Firstof_{all, the}vigilant

mannerinwhichWilsonuses arrangement andlayoutofobjectstoevokeintense

reactionsfromtheviewers. _{In my}

thesis,

Istrivedtocreatea_{powerful, thought}

provokingenvironmentfortheviewers

by

thestrategicplacementoftheFoxtail Bristle

Grassand each ofthe37bases.

Secondly,

Wilson'spieces_commonlyarecomposedof

forgottenorfamiliarobjects. Thepiece as a_whole,

however,

is_{anything but}ordinary. In

mythesis work,I used afamiliarformof grassesthatiscommonto_manyareas ofthe

world, nevertheless,Iundertooktheendeavortocreatean originaland contemplative

experiencefortheviewers.

Ibelievethatcurrentevents and experiences can gain rolesin developmentof

manyartist'swork aswellasobservationsof current andhistoricalartwork. One such

eventthat_{influenced my}thesiswork wasalocal Midwesternevent of reclamationofthe

Pig's Eye Landfill site inSaint

Paul,

Minnesota. Overseveral

decades,

thelandareahad

become

highly

pollutedandconcentrated withtoxicmetals. In

1990,

Mel Chin along

withDr. Rufus

Chaney

beganafour-yearexperimentcalledRevival Field

(1990-1993)

in

which

they

attemptedto

detoxify

a600 squarefootsectionofthelandfill (Fig. 13).

Revival Fieldwasthefirstphytoremediationproject wherenaturalplants wouldbeused

10

Buskirk,Martha.TheContingentObjectofContemporary Art (Cambridge: TheMIT_{Press, 2003),}p. 163-165.

toleachouttoxinsfromthepolluted soil.1 1 Chin'sproject calledforarectilinearfence

tobeconstructedaroundtheareatobeinvolved intheexperiment. This fenceline

delineatedtheregeneration area muchlikethemostcommonfence linefoundthroughout

the

farmlands

oftheMidwest. Thiseventhas significancetome asI viewedthe

installationof_mythesis

body

of_{work; the}formofthesquare_plantingof_mygrasseshad

thepurposeof

invoking

specificfeelingsof supportfoundwithinthe_assemblyofa

community. As IthoughtbacktothereclamationofthePig's Eye Landfillsitein

Minnesota,

Irealizedthat thissamerectilinear

fencing

ofthelandcould not_only section

land butconnect and

help

torevitalizeitaswell.

Inadditionto thenumerousartists whoinfluencethe

body

ofworkin_mythesis, I

employideasandforms fromartworkthatIhave createdintheyears previousto_my

thesis.Forexample, thesuccessfulformofthe_growingnodethatIhadfashioned_{in my}

artwork

during

_myfirstyear ofgraduateschoolfacilitatedthecreation ofSupport Within

a

Community,

2005. In manypiecesthatI _create,Ibelievethat thereare concealed

formsandideasthatcanbe liberated ina successive

body

ofwork. Intheprocess of

creating Support Withina

Community,

2005,

1identifiedseveral aspects ofthe

body

of

workthatIwouldliketo exploreinadditional pieces.

ThegridsystemIutilizedin_mythesis thatpertainedto the Land

Survey

System

intheUnited Stateswas an

intriguing

geometricalmeansto

display

a

body

of work.For

me, thisconfigurationcreated a

feeling

of

intrigue,

therefore,

I wouldliketousethis

geometricformationin futurepieces.

Furthermore,

Iaspiretodrawmore attentionto this

11

www.satorimedia.com/finraWeb/chin.htm

historicalmethodof_sectioningourland

by

_usingtherectilinearformationas amain

focuspointin_{mypost graduate work.}

Iplanto continuetoutilizetheformofthe_{Foxtail Bristle Grass in my future}

work as well.

Changing

thescale andproportionsofthegrassformwillallow meto

adornthe

body,

thus_exploringtheideaof support inatactileconnectionbetweenthe

body

andtheformofthegrass.

Displaying

alargenumberoftheseformsaroundthe

perimeteroftheoriginal installationof216 grassesis anothermeans inwhichIcanlink

theformofthegrassto thehumanneedofsupport.

Intheinitialstepsintheprocess of_{creating my}thesis

body

of_work,Iwasdriven

by

thedesiretoincorporatetheconceptof

balancing

_mypresentlifewith_myancestral

heritage. Ichosetorepresentthis_{idea in my}thesis

by

focusing

ontheagrarianlifestyle

of_myancestors and_recreatingtheformofexpansive grass prairies

they

encountered

while_migratingto theplainsoftheMidwestern United States. Itisthrough theformof

theexpansivegrass_{prairies, that}Iwas abletoexplorethe temporaldimensionsof

community.

AsphilosopherJosiah Royceexplains, "A communityconstituted

by

thefactthat

eachofitsmembersaccepts as a partofhisownindividuallifeand selfthesame past

eventsthateachofhis fellow-membersaccepts,maybecalleda_communityof

memory."

12

Royce goes ontoexplain_{that similarly,}"a communityconstituted

by

thefactthat

eachofitsmembersaccepts, aspartofhisownindividuallife and_{self, the} same expected

futureevents ofexpectationor...acommunityof hope."

Thesecommon past andfuture

events,which allmembersholdas identicalparts oftheirown

lives,

arethebasisoftheir

12

Robinson,D.S.,p.248

13

Robinson, D.S.,p.249

loyalty

to thecommunity.

Therefore,

theincorporationoftheformoftheexpansive

prairie grasses servestosymbolizeRoyce 's definitionofcommunities of_memoryand

hope.

Inadditionto thecreationofa_communityin_mythesis, I_constantlystroveto

incorporatea

feeling

of supportthroughout_my

body

of work. Structural support of

individualgrassesdisplayedthepermanentneedfor community_necessaryforsurvival.

Thisfeatureof_mygrasses representstheideathat thequestforsupportwillperseverefor

all ofmankind. Asthe _{seventeenth-century English}writerJohn Donneoncewrote,

"NomanisanIsland,entire of_itself;

everymanisa piece ofthe_Continent,

a part ofthemain...".

Thisphilosophicalstatement

by

Donneisaninsightfulassessmentthatindividuals

existnotin isolationof each_{other; rather,} aninvisibleconnectionencompassesall of

humanity. Donnecontinues

by

writing,

"...anyman'sdeath diminishesme,because

Iaminvolved inMankind;Andtherefore

neversenttoknowforwhomthe_{bell tolls;}

Ittollsfor

thee."15

Atthe timewhenDonnemadethis statement,itwas atraditionintheCatholic

Churchtotollits bellwhenone ofitsparishioners died. Donne is suggesting herethatno

14

Donne,John.(1572-1631),Devotions Upon EmergentOccasions,MeditationXVII

13

Donne,John.(1572-1631),Devotions Upon EmergentOccasions,Meditation XVII

mancan exist_solely

by

himself. Hestatesthatwe areall

interconnected,

sothatwhen

one member of_societyis

lost,

it is felt

by

allhumankind.

Furthermore,

anotherperson's

loss isalossofour own. Ourneedforsupportisshaped

by

theintricate weavingofthe

lives of allhumankind.

Althoughitcouldbeassumedthat_anycollectionofindividualscouldbe

considered a_community,Idesiredtostressin mythesisworkthata_communitycanexist

onlywhereindividualmembers areincommunication withoneanothersothatinsome

measure, thereisa correspondenceof

feeling,

_philosophyand emotion. Thefactthatthe

leaves ofthegrasseswereallowedto

intermingle,

move andreacttoone anotherbetween

individualgrasses showed acommunicationthatexisted withinthe_communityof

grasses.

However,

the_sharingofindividual

feelings,

thoughtsand willsthat existina

communityshould not

imply

thatalossof

identity

and

individuality

isprevalent_among

itsmembers.r Individualsremain

individuals,

justasyoucan remove a single stalkfrom

myfieldof grass. Alossof a singlestalk willthereforecreate an absencethatis felt

by

the_{remaining community}ofgrasses. Individuallifewill alwaysexist,but

forming

a

communityofindividuals createsahigher-orderlifethatextendsbeyond_anyindividual

life.

As AmericanphilosopherRoyceacknowledges,

"My

lifemeans_nothing, either

theoretically

orpractically, unlessI am a memberofa

community."17

Thenotions of

personal

identity

andpurposeare alsoindecipherableunless we surmise a_communityof

individualsthatdefinecauses and establishsocialrolesformembers ofthat_societyto

embrace.

16

Royce,J. 1881,Primer ofLogical Analysisforthe _{Use of}Composition Students.

17

Robinson,D.S.,p.249.

Figure 1. Lance

Neirby,

Balanceon Our Ancestors,

2004,

Copper,

Heat Patina. Photo: [image:20.559.176.391.51.337.2]

Lance Neirby.

Figure 2. ImageofGrass

Growing

Node. Adaptedfrom_{www.missouriplants.com.} [image:20.559.190.376.391.624.2]

[image:21.559.134.450.50.303.2]

Figure 3. Seteria ItalicaorFoxtail Millet

Grass,

Adapted fromphotograph

by Kitty

Kohoutforthe

University

ofWisconsinat Stevens Pointandfromscientific

drawing by

Agnes Chase from Norman C. Fassett's Grasses of Wisconsin.

Figure 4. Lance

Neirby,

Support Withina

Community,

2005,

Copper, Steel, Wood,

Paint,

Nickel

Silver, Brass,

MainPlotequals

8'

x

8'

x52". Photo: Lance Neirby.

[image:21.559.112.445.363.619.2]

Figure 5. Lance

Neirby,

Support Withina

Community, 2005, Copper, Steel, Wood, Paint,

Nickel

Silver, Brass,

Main Plotequals 8'

x

8'

x

52",

DetailofLeafto Stalk Connection. Photo: Lance Neirby.

Figure 6. Lance

Neirby,

Support Withina

Community, 2005, Copper,

Steel,

Wood, Paint,

Nickel

Silver, Brass,

27"x

27"

x

20",

DetailofUnassembledGrass. Photo: Lance

Neirby.

[image:22.559.194.372.48.301.2] [image:22.559.138.426.373.598.2]

Figure 7. Lance

Neirby,

Support Within a

Community, 2005, Copper, Steel, Wood,

Paint,

Nickel

Silver, Brass,

Main Plotequals 8'

x

8'

x

52",

DetailofBlack Woodshavings

Seperating

Bases fromOne Another and

Gallery

Floor. Photo: Lance Neirby.

Figure 8. Lance

Neirby,

Support Withina

Community, 2005, Copper, Steel, Wood, Paint,

Nickel

Silver,

Brass,

Main Plotequals

8'

x

8'

x

52",

Detailof

Rolling Topography

of

Bases. Photo: Lance Neirby.

[image:23.559.70.491.49.184.2] [image:23.559.66.498.274.577.2]

ROBERT SMITHSON/ JAVESCOHAN GALLERY

X>. . "'r^Ml

j^

Vxv\

X*A*I [image:24.559.148.381.40.335.2]

^^ jPtt* i

Figure 9. Robert

Smithson,

^4

Nonsite, 1968, Wood, Limestone,

Aerial

Photographs,

16 1/2"

x82"x

110",

Collection: Museumof

Contemporary

Art,

Chicago. Adaptedfrom

www.robertsmithson.com

Figure 10. Agnes

Denes,

WheatfteldA Confrontation:

Battery

Park

Landfill,

Downtown

Manhattan, 1982,

TwoAcre PlotofWheat inLowerManhattan.Adapted from

www. marquette.edu.

[image:24.559.108.429.413.632.2]

[image:25.559.103.470.51.337.2]

Figure 11. Hans

Haacke,

Condensation

Cube,

1963, Plexiglass,

Distilled

Water,

Collec

tionWulf

Herzogenrafh,

Bremen. Adaptedfrom www.artnet.com.

Figure 12. Fred

Wilson, Cabinetmaking,

1992,

InstallationattheMarylandHistorical

Society,

Baltimore. Adapted fromwww.artistsnetwork.org. [image:25.559.66.496.414.598.2]

Figure 13. Mel Chin (with Dr. Rufus

Chaney),

Revival

Field,

1990-1993,

Chinused

plantstoabsorb toxicmetals frompolluted_soil, Pig's Eye

Landfill,

Saint

Paul,

Minne

sota.Adapted fromwww.greenmuseum.org.

[image:26.559.113.442.85.300.2]

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Martha. TheContingent ObjectofContemporary Art. Cambridge: The MIT

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2003.

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John.

(1572-1631),

Devotions Upon Emergent Occasions. Meditation XVII

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