Transforming Artwork

A visit to the forest today revealed many changes since opening night. The forest canopy gives way to blue sky as the trees begin to release their leaves, and the color of the forest is slowly changing from lush greens to gold and brown.

A few of the artworks, too, have transformed.

Mary Zicafoose's wrapped trees are slowly fading to lighter hues of blue and yellow, the natural dyes losing their brilliance over time. Interestingly, this muted coloration now allows a viewer to pay closer attention to the textural forms created by the wrapping.

The presence of forest creatures is exposed, as the hiding spot of one woodland animal is now evident from the hole gnawed through linen in Mary's work. Occasional footprints are discovered on the wrapping when the dampness is just right, and fungal growths covered by the fabric continue to grow through and beyond their barrier. The solid color backgrounds created by the textiles provides an excellent viewing field for otherwise invisible insects, such as walking sticks.

Dan Newberry's "Weird Sisters", the hanging pod series on the second loop, are losing some of their fibre to enterprising birds and squirrels seeking nesting materials, and Les Bruning's craftily hidden bird and squirrel icons, a brilliant orange/ochre color, are becoming much more difficult to see, now that the forest brings forth its fall colors.

Perhaps the most welcome change of all is the cooler weather; now is a perfect time to enjoy a visit to see the exhibit and hike the many trails at FNC.