Final Project

Artist Statement

This first piece is inspired by a quote from Physics of the Future by Dr. Michio Kaku.  Dr. Kaku, a well respect theoretical physicist and scientific leader, has been openly critical on the misuse of science particularly in relation to climate change, nuclear armament, and nuclear power.  In this quote he addresses our relationship with nature:

“In the future, we will make the transition from being passive observes of the dance of nature, to being choreographers of nature, to being masters of nature, and finally to being conservators of nature.  So let us hope we can wield the sword of science with wisdom and equanimity, taming the barbarism of our ancient past” (17).

I believe that there is a lot of positivity in this statement and have decided to create a drawing that offers a visual idea of what Kaku might be suggesting.    

My art is usually abstract 2D and 3D works that feature recognizable subjects but do not directly replicate real world objects.  I enjoy working in an abstract style because it allows for the highest level of creative expression.  I create work that visualizes my ideas, philosophies, emotions, experience, and understanding of what it is to live; these concepts are usually abstract so it is only logical that my style be too.  But I do not make scribbles all over pages or put simple cubes on pedestals with seemingly no direction or purpose.  My lines are clean, calculated, and very meticulously drawn and my objects are intended to be recognizable. But I do not produce replicas; I want my subjects to be open to different interpretations without being too ambiguous.  I would deem my art as abstract impressionism.

Improvisation is crucial to my process and I generate my compositions on an on-demand basis.  It is not a random process but a process that involves constant calculation from start to finish.  I do not work in a traditional sketch then add color process but balance color, shape, and concept simultaneously.  My compositions can be dense and involve many components.  I strive to create art work that functions much like a symphony with many independent sections working in concert to create one piece.  This is why I almost always use a heavy amount of mixed media in my work.

“Future Constructs: 1” is the first in many pieces I intend to make focusing on the idea of constructed environments.  In this work I portray humanity building ecosystems much in the same way we would construct a building project. I decided to use cranes because they are universally recognizable symbols of large-scale construction.  I leave out any human figures because this is a future prediction and we cannot know what we will be in the future.  It is even possible that we won't do our own construction in the future.  The cranes are building giant unidentified trees instead of skyscrapers.  I decided to portray the trees as partially golden because the idea of constructing something organic seems almost alchemical to me.  Gold is also a universal symbol of high value and I hope that a viewer will see whatever is being made as both precious and organic.  I want “Future Constructs: 1” to be more like contemplative food and less like an argument or statement.  It is my intention to nourish imaginations. 

 

Day 8

This will be a short write up since day eight was really a repeat of the first day.  We awoke and the blue skies completed the streak of beautiful mornings.  We broke camp for the final time and as promised I packed virtually all of Anren's items in my pack.  It was not light but I was more than happy to do it; the Singaporean had become a good friend over the last few days.  The climb was the hardest of the trip but not long.  We saw a park service trail team go by complete with a mule train.  It was very cool to see old ways of life still preserved.  I talked to Prof. Billo and there is a possibility that I may be able to work for the park service next summer.  That would definitely be an amazing experience.  I met a head of this park branch and he was a total dude.  Very cool guy.  He mentioned they had been doing 15-16 mile days recently.  HA! Put our group to shame right there.  Our average day was no more than 5 miles.    

We were back at the van before midday and we quickly loaded up.  The pack was smelly but satisfied with the trip.  We drove to the top of the gravel ridge and stared out at the Puget Sound.  We took some final pictures and then started the drive home.  The clear cuts looked even worse after being engulfed by such beauty for the past seven days.

The Van

We got to the ferry and I felt exhausted very suddenly.  It was if my body has totally let go realizing that it no longer needed to be as attentive.  The journey home was both depressing and nice.  A shower sounded good but I already missed the Olympics.  The outdoors had forged solid friendships and we all made a point to try to stay in contact.  There is an unspoken camaraderie that develops from these trips that is unique.  I will miss my peers; they are all amazing individuals.  I plan on keeping in contact for sure.  This trip will hold a special place forever in my soul.  It was my first real trip to the Olympic back country and it quickly became one of the greatest wilderness experiences of my life.  I will be back on the Peninsula as soon as I can but I fear this may not happen until next summer.  For now I will have to be patient.

Looking out over the sound

THE END      

Day 7

Cedar Lake Campsite

Campsite Pt. 2

An early sunny morning started off day seven.  We were quick about breaking camp (well quicker at least) and hit the trail right away.  Prof. Billo mentioned that seeing Black Bears was very possible but sadly, we didn’t see any.  The trail hopped from meadow to meadow and it was very beautiful.  These were filled with white flowers called White Fawn Lily that arise only where snow was before.  We noticed clawed up bark and Prof. Billo mentioned that this was from starved black bears removing the bark to eat the sap of these trees.  The do this because when they first awake from hibernation there is usually still snow on the ground preventing any foraging from berry bushes.  Even though we saw no bears it was very neat to see these claw marks sporadically throughout this descent.  The bears are hiding but definitely very present.  

Crossing the meadows 

Can't get much more beautiful

Climbing over felled trees

Hungry bear want sap from tree...want sap now

The going was fairly easy.  Eventually, we retraced our steps back to the same trail we had trekked only a few days earlier.  This time we made sure to enjoy the old growth section of the forest.  We spread out and allowed ourselves solo space to take the forest in.  The trees were indescribably majestic and I found myself tripping constantly looking up at them.  I noticed that Douglas Firs tend to have curves in their growth while Mountain Hemlocks were almost perfectly straight.  Perhaps this is due to the difference in growth rates of these two species.  Douglas Firs grow fast and may bend in search of best sunspots or in response to ground disturbances.  Hemlocks grow much slower and steadily.  Maybe this slower, far steadier growth keeps these trees from developing curves.  I cannot say though.

A Douglas Fir next to Hemlock notice the curve of the Doug vs. the straightness of the Hemlock

The canopy of the old growth section

Retracing our path was pleasant and the hike felt short since we knew where we were going.  In no time we were back at Three Rivers campsite.  We built a fire and Anren lead a brief but very good discussion about wilderness preserves and how cultures view them.  He used a preserve from his home country, Singapore, as an example.  He said that despite being in the center of the city-state this large preserve is generally not used very much.  It does not have many animals.  The preserves used to contain tigers but these were all exterminated.  He mentioned that while Singapore generally likes nature it is not protected the same way it is in the US.  The citizens of Singapore also do not use their preserves for recreation and the main use of these areas is for military exercises.  All of this was very interesting especially since Singapore is basically entirely urbanized.  Finally, Anren described these preserves and even our own parks as basically gigantic zoos without the bars or exotic species.  There is a lot of truth in this statement and I believe that it is unfortunate how isolated these Parks are especially Olympic Park.  A more gradual border would be an improvement to this isolation.  Extended sections to national forests and other parks would greatly improve the situation but I think baby steps are far more reasonable.  The amount of resistance is heavy from neighboring communities to the park so any change would probably have to be small at first.

Around the fire last night in the wilderness

Everyone then reminisced our favorite moments about the trip.  Mary had her birthday today and we celebrated with tiny bottles of honey whisky.  Spirits were high and everyone had lots of positive things to say. 

Anren’s knee was hurting badly again and I promised him that I would carry all of his heavy items tomorrow.  I opted out of reading that night and decided to just go to bed so that I would be ready for the extra weight.

Day 6

Cedar Lake Campsite from across the water

Great weather on the morning of day six.  The team decided that we would spend another day at Cedar lake.  We were given a choice to either reflect or go on another ridge hike.  About half the group decided to reflect and the other half went on the ridge hike.  I joined the ridge hike group and it was very worth it.  The ascent was riddled with marmot holes.  The views at the top were again spectacular and we got 360 degree panoramas of the Olympics.  We could also see all the way to Puget Sound and even to the Cascades.  The atmospheric clarity is a testament to the great air quality of Washington.

On the Ridge

Puget Sound and the Cascades in the very far background

More ridge action

We descended and enjoyed some more lakeside pleasantries.  I tried fishing and failed again but was a bit more competent.  Anren was a good teacher.

More fishing

After dinner I lead my discussion and it went ok.  I felt a bit unorganized and scatterbrained during the whole affair and didn’t get a huge response.  It was disappointing and I felt underwhelmed by my performance.  Nevertheless, it was ok and I still got to read some great passages from The Call of the Wild.   I focused on Thoreau’s monumental statement “In wildness is the preservation of our world.”  I reasoned that this was ambiguous but that generally there are three main ideas that I think he is focusing on.  The first and most obvious is resources.  The second is psychological preservation.  And the final is more ambiguous but I think he means environmental health as a whole.  The resource aspect is very straightforward: resources from the wild sustain us.  Psychologically, I believe he is referring to the benefit nature has on our mental well-being.  The essay mentions several times the benefits he received from going on long walks through nature and often times he claims that all humans seeking total health should visit nature regularly.  He also states the wildness in character is something to be admired in humans.  I think that he is implying that as a species we should not let ourselves become too “soft” or disconnected from wild ancestry.  I believe this is a warning.  It is not invalid either because it is arguable that part of the lack of environmentalism in our culture is the result of disconnection from our more natural roots.  Finally, I think that he is referring to the preservation of natural habitats in their raw state is the only real path for ecosystem health.  There is a great deal of truth in this.  I finished the discussion by reading several passages from The Call of the Wild that I felt applied to our trip.  These were about the main character, Buck a large sled dog, who experiences a resurgence in his wild ancestry when he is stolen from his domesticated life and thrown into dog sled work.  The call of his ancestors reawakens within him as he adjusts to his new life.  His instincts are rekindled and his body undergoes a dramatic transformation from soft to tough.  I felt that in our brief time amongst the Olympics we were feeling some of these things slightly as well.  This idea got a mixed reception and I doubt my peers were really all that convinced.  I felt like I was definitely more attuned with my senses but maybe it was my imagination running wild inspired by the story.

The pack decided that we would make a longer day out of tomorrow and return to our first campsite.  Everyone crashed early to prepare for day myself included.