Public Art/INSTALLATION
|
Finding Center / Nature Speaks History A Living Earthwork 25’D Oyster shells, quartz stone, willow branches, wood chips from recycled trees, living ancient fern bushes, solar lights, grass & soil ©️Pamella Allen 2023 Dictated by the landscape and history of The old Stone House of Brooklyn, I have incorporated oyster shells that represent our historical reliance on our waterways, starting with the first people, the Lenape. Solar lights represent the eternal flame for the souls of the enslaved individuals who toiled on these lands and all life that inhabited this land. Ancient fern bushes and recycled wood chips create a habitat for the endangered local ecosystem. The circle represents the cyclical nature of life. And a community poem imbibed onto the quartz stones tell a story of our present-future relationship with history and our natural landscapes. |
|
|
For 120 minutes on a Saturday afternoon in Brooklyn at The Old Stone House,
I shared prompts that I created and invited the community to contribute their words, thoughts and memories to a collaborative community poem to be incorporated into my Living Earthwork, “Finding Center” [25’D Oyster shells, willow branches, quartz stone, ancient fern bushes, mulch with recycled trees and branches, solar lights, grass and soil] For 120 minutes the community shared their inspiring words, thoughts, memories and together we deconstructed their individual contributions and created a new poem. A poem that speaks to our shared wisdom and collective experiences with our natural landscapes and histories. Back in my studio, I added more contributions collected from the community, edited just slightly, collaged their words within a circle and finally transcribed the full poem to share. Collaborating with community was truly a blessing & an honor. Thank you all for gifting us your word-wisdom. Thank you for opening your hearts to share your stories. Thank you to my collaborators Rosalinda Autumn Keating, Zoe Berkovic, Phil Alexander, Yangchin Li, Veda, Katherine Gressel, Grace Freedman, @msanng71, her two “mentors“ |
"Night Sun" I created this series of video paintings by filming my installation of "Paper Shells" with movement, light and natural sound elements; then adding another layer of video editing to create this image for large-format immersive projection as a part of a larger mixed media installation in progress.
“What The Trees Gave Me” Onsite Earthwork Installation at Ma’s House & BIPOC Art Studio
25’ D- Conch, Lightening Elk, Jingle, and Quahog shells, Quartz Stone, Reeds, Moss, fallen tree branches and leaves, on soil Pamella Allen 2021
I create my on-site earthworks with elements that I find in those landscapes so each earthwork is an honoring of the natural world and a self portrait of that landscape, a kind of storytelling - a visual history told with the bones and discarded homes of sentient beings.
25’ D- Conch, Lightening Elk, Jingle, and Quahog shells, Quartz Stone, Reeds, Moss, fallen tree branches and leaves, on soil Pamella Allen 2021
I create my on-site earthworks with elements that I find in those landscapes so each earthwork is an honoring of the natural world and a self portrait of that landscape, a kind of storytelling - a visual history told with the bones and discarded homes of sentient beings.
Video Transcript 7:37: Narration: ©️Pamella Allen 2021-This is “What the Trees Gave Me”
Making an onsite earthwork mandala installation at Ma’s House & BIPOC Art Studio, October 2021
So the first day I visited Ma’s House, it was long before my residency, as soon as I opened the car door, a monarch butterfly met me. Right over the place where this mandala is and I only made the connection just recently.
Quite magic really, and a wonderful wonderful introduction to an incredibly magical space. After my everyday walk with the trees, it began at dusk, with a fallen branch as my stylus I find center in the soil and make the first circle. “Here is the beginnings of my circle &symbol soil mandala piece that I just started…”Next morning, with a fallen branch and twine, I continue the lines, adding the quartz gravel to define. A constant sound song moves through me from Marley, …
”Walk the proud land my friend, walk the proud land my friend ..do do doo dooo..”
This is my bounty! Collecting fallen leaves, red and yellow to create the center, I continue to collect reeds.
Now Shane and Marta come to bless the circle. With wisteria and branch and song and dance giving thanks. As Shane and Marta traverse the circle, Shane Weeks a multi media artist and Shinnecock Historian, sounds an ancient song written by
his cousin Ginew Benton, “Thank You Great Creator”. Shane also tells us, “we sing this song just to give thanks for the day, for the people we are around and the opportunity to share who we are as a people”.
Marta Hincapie Charry, a movement artist shares, “the Vortex of the installation completely absorbed me as soon as I set foot in it. The natural set up drew me in immediately. I was infatuated, the body’s reaction was very organic and
the power of the circle worked its magic, the branches attached to me and outer space. I could have spun there for hours endlessly”.
Ginny brings shells collected in Shinnecock bay collected on 20 years of days. An old soul and a dear old friend I must say.
Next morning, the sun shines at Ma’s House as I set to work laying down the shells collected on the shores of Shinnecock Bay over decades of time. There is a gift in it, a gift to putting back, or replacing, or honoring the things that nature leaves.
Laying down the lines created by the shells in the soil creates a type of meditation for me although the physicality of it is quite challenging, the meditation is most necessary. At the center of this piece, I have placed quahog shells, traditionally used by the Shinnecock to create Wampum Belts. There is also Jingle Shells and Slipper Shells and Knobbed Whelk and Lightening Whelk Conch Shells, all from the waters and lands of this place all speak to the life of this place on its people.
There is no separation, only connection to the land here. The direction of things and how they are added is dictated by the natural elements that I find and that I add. The pattern creates itself. There is an intention to where everything is placed, how it is placed; towards center, away from center, directional, North, South, East, West. Sometimes the pattern changes, sometimes it begins one way and ends another. It is an attempt at allowing the medium itself speak to where it goes, how it grows, how it evolves.
This is what the trees give me, knowledge and allowance to push forward. Continuance.
Now complete and its own sentient being, community comes together in the circle. Young and old souls find connection with earth as they walk the labyrinth. This is its purpose, this is what the trees and the Bay and the Oceans and the Seas gave me.
This is what the trees gave us, a place to find center. To remember and reflect on our complete and total connection to earth, to each other, to all the elements of nature, to community.
Such unbelievable diversity exists in this space, we all share in this place and all of its fates. This is what the trees gave me. This understanding of connection and joy and unity and history and memory.
As Jeremey gives us the birds eye view, we can see what the trees gave us from the sky. Thank you Jeremy Dennis, you created this space where we can create and grow and thrive. Thank you for your Eagle’s Eye.
One Love Good People. Thanks for watching. ©️Pamella Allen 2021
Making an onsite earthwork mandala installation at Ma’s House & BIPOC Art Studio, October 2021
So the first day I visited Ma’s House, it was long before my residency, as soon as I opened the car door, a monarch butterfly met me. Right over the place where this mandala is and I only made the connection just recently.
Quite magic really, and a wonderful wonderful introduction to an incredibly magical space. After my everyday walk with the trees, it began at dusk, with a fallen branch as my stylus I find center in the soil and make the first circle. “Here is the beginnings of my circle &symbol soil mandala piece that I just started…”Next morning, with a fallen branch and twine, I continue the lines, adding the quartz gravel to define. A constant sound song moves through me from Marley, …
”Walk the proud land my friend, walk the proud land my friend ..do do doo dooo..”
This is my bounty! Collecting fallen leaves, red and yellow to create the center, I continue to collect reeds.
Now Shane and Marta come to bless the circle. With wisteria and branch and song and dance giving thanks. As Shane and Marta traverse the circle, Shane Weeks a multi media artist and Shinnecock Historian, sounds an ancient song written by
his cousin Ginew Benton, “Thank You Great Creator”. Shane also tells us, “we sing this song just to give thanks for the day, for the people we are around and the opportunity to share who we are as a people”.
Marta Hincapie Charry, a movement artist shares, “the Vortex of the installation completely absorbed me as soon as I set foot in it. The natural set up drew me in immediately. I was infatuated, the body’s reaction was very organic and
the power of the circle worked its magic, the branches attached to me and outer space. I could have spun there for hours endlessly”.
Ginny brings shells collected in Shinnecock bay collected on 20 years of days. An old soul and a dear old friend I must say.
Next morning, the sun shines at Ma’s House as I set to work laying down the shells collected on the shores of Shinnecock Bay over decades of time. There is a gift in it, a gift to putting back, or replacing, or honoring the things that nature leaves.
Laying down the lines created by the shells in the soil creates a type of meditation for me although the physicality of it is quite challenging, the meditation is most necessary. At the center of this piece, I have placed quahog shells, traditionally used by the Shinnecock to create Wampum Belts. There is also Jingle Shells and Slipper Shells and Knobbed Whelk and Lightening Whelk Conch Shells, all from the waters and lands of this place all speak to the life of this place on its people.
There is no separation, only connection to the land here. The direction of things and how they are added is dictated by the natural elements that I find and that I add. The pattern creates itself. There is an intention to where everything is placed, how it is placed; towards center, away from center, directional, North, South, East, West. Sometimes the pattern changes, sometimes it begins one way and ends another. It is an attempt at allowing the medium itself speak to where it goes, how it grows, how it evolves.
This is what the trees give me, knowledge and allowance to push forward. Continuance.
Now complete and its own sentient being, community comes together in the circle. Young and old souls find connection with earth as they walk the labyrinth. This is its purpose, this is what the trees and the Bay and the Oceans and the Seas gave me.
This is what the trees gave us, a place to find center. To remember and reflect on our complete and total connection to earth, to each other, to all the elements of nature, to community.
Such unbelievable diversity exists in this space, we all share in this place and all of its fates. This is what the trees gave me. This understanding of connection and joy and unity and history and memory.
As Jeremey gives us the birds eye view, we can see what the trees gave us from the sky. Thank you Jeremy Dennis, you created this space where we can create and grow and thrive. Thank you for your Eagle’s Eye.
One Love Good People. Thanks for watching. ©️Pamella Allen 2021
On-Site Mandala in process at Ma's House & BIPOC Art Studio, Shinnecock Reservation 2021 Photo Credit: Blaklion
EAGLE EYE VIEW- VIDEO CREDIT: JEREMY DENNIS
“Three Hundred Million Years” 20’D- Horseshoe Crab skins & feathers on sand- Onsite Installation on Shinnecock Bay
I create my on-site earthworks with elements that I find in those landscapes so each earthwork is an honoring of the natural world and a self portrait of that landscape, a kind of storytelling - a visual history told with the bones and discarded homes of sentient beings.
For three hundred million years, what we call Horseshoe crabs have come to this unmapped and sacred place to shed thier skins. Collected with fellow artist @denisesilvadennis and formed into circles on the shore where they lay soon to be taken back into the bay at highest tide.
I create my on-site earthworks with elements that I find in those landscapes so each earthwork is an honoring of the natural world and a self portrait of that landscape, a kind of storytelling - a visual history told with the bones and discarded homes of sentient beings.
For three hundred million years, what we call Horseshoe crabs have come to this unmapped and sacred place to shed thier skins. Collected with fellow artist @denisesilvadennis and formed into circles on the shore where they lay soon to be taken back into the bay at highest tide.
|
|
|
AFTER EXITING: Mixed Media Installation In Progress Pamella Allen 2021
|
|
|