Green Canopy 2005

Artists: Patricia Tinajero-Baker, Ariadna Capasso, and Damián Keller

Conceptual Basis

Green Canopy is inspired in the Amazon rainforest. The canopy consists of monumental trees and vegetation that create a green umbrella. Trees are central to Amazonian cosmologies. Among the Shuar, for example, trees are the reincarnation of Uwi, the God of creation and master of the perpetuation of life. This is a wise belief: the green canopy is one of Earth's essential support systems, recycling and purifying air and water.

The ecological concerns of Green Canopy are timely and urgent. The piece is designed to raise awareness about our role as consumers in an ecosystem composed of producers, consumers and degraders. The life-support systems that make life possible are quickly being degraded by humanity's actions.

Project Description

The installation Green Canopy is articulated as a large architectural object. The 10-ft high, 8 foot wide, "millenary tree" is made from scraps, leftovers, and recycled materials, such as PVC pipes and carpet padding. With the process of fabrication we suggest new alternatives to the life-cycle of everyday materials, making us re-examine the value we place on objects (and trash) in a post-industrial society. The plastic forest reminds us that oxygen-producing trees are cut down and replaced by non biodegradable materials.

The installation activates the space by using the verticality of the structure to recreate the magical experience of being in the rainforest. The 'trunks' are covered by 'lianas' made from woven plastic bags and VHS tapes. Speakers placed throughout the tree recreate the aural atmosphere of the rainforest. The tree's textures and sounds make it an attractive and curious object. The electronic equipment runs on solar energy with equipment provided by ETM Solar Works.

Green Canopy is exhibited for the 6th Kingston Sculpture Biennial (July-October 2005) at Hasbrouck Park, Kingston, NY. Parts of the sculpture were built at Sculpture Space, Utica, NY, in June 2005. The sculpture, located in a public park, is accessible to anyone strolling by.

This is a collaborative project with a sculpture/installation artist, Patricia Tinajero-Baker; a video-installation artist, Ariadna Capasso; and Damián Keller, a composer specializing in three-dimensional ecological-sounds. Collaboration is an essential aspect of our artistic vision. We have successfully completed and exhibited several large scale multimedia installations, such as Urban Corridor and Carry On-Carry Away. Baker and Capasso have done a series of public performances, Carry Out, Medical Diagnosis and Buy a Piece of America. Keller and Capasso have also completed La Conquista, Vivir sin después and Sisyphus.

Green Canopy was made possible with the support of
and

The artists wish to thank Andrew Ashley and Vassar Elementary School, funded by SCFD and the Museum of Contemporary Art, Denver, Sydney Waller and Sculpture Space, Francine Notte, Michael Lalicki, Victor Deribeprey, Jose Acosta, Jay VanLane and Dennis Connors.