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I came to the Deering Residency wanting to see the unseen, to discover the hidden, or find the overlooked worlds that exist on the Deering Estate. I set out on my quest of ‘artistic exploration through the naturalist’s eye’ by choosing to focus on the non-charismatic specimens, whether organic or inorganic. Soil, sand, broken debris, evidence of man, and the invisible worlds of smaller, missed, mundane or overlooked organisms are my potential subject. Taking the trails through the natural grounds that are rich in lovely textures and patterns of nature when I first arrived seemed to attract my fellow artist, but I found myself out at the edge of the seawall with its rows of planted royal palms which appeared at first devoid of organisms or debris of interest, but I quickly became fascinated with this constantly visited ubiquitous part of the estate.
This overlooked threshold of human/nature existence is where I found plastic bottle caps full of evidence of becoming a home to organisms who are not picky about their substrates, micro-plastic chips entangled in seaweed washed over the seawall (macro-algae), the soap-opera quality of the interactions of fish and crabs at low tide including graveyards of oysters and floating fish egg-cases, and that the royal palms were covered in many species of lichens whose fruiting bodies were colorful and bursting into view. The lichens were at first invisible to me until using the technology of my latest iPhone with its magnification abilities I ran my phone camera over the surface of the palms to be able to see what theretofore I could not see. Practicing eco-materialism by using the 80-year-old engineers grid paper left by my father when he died, I am also using time as part of the research practice by repeatedly revisiting this hidden world of lichens with the intention of creating 100 drawings over this calendar year of 2023. The lichens themselves dictate what I draw so in my series of drawings (34 deep at this point) I do not know what I will find.
The Deering Artist in Residence Studio Program, a historic and significant environmental public space with its own parameters of experimental approaches and points of view provide an appropriate frame for the concrete poetry and intermedia art I am practicing. This space, this place reflects our world in its overlapping and often contradictory relationships with humans and nature as separate. These complications and contradictions are comprised of the respect Deering shows the original peoples, the preservation of the historic buildings, and actively being a species and environmental ecosystem protection entity. These relationships and priorities create and solve problems, and as further complication has the climate crisis bearing down with tangible reality upon all. Being a place of rich human interaction, celebration, and continuity, it could serve as a model with the potential of bringing human, history, and nature, together – to be viewed as one.
I see the space as a living studio where one area of study will give birth to another, populating the space with drawings, photographs, and collage made with eco-materials made, upcycled, sustainable, recycled, or cannibalized from a previous project. The urgent action of the responsible environmental artist is to communicate that which will inspire change; whether societal or in the actions of the individual. To stand for what we stand on. My focus on the mundane will be shown in contrast to the dynamic setting and artwork of the Deering Estate. Through my biophilia obsessions my work has become environmentally based, covering broad global subjects which recently culminated in the globe itself. Trash and debris are kept from the bin to become valuable and precious art materials. Gaia concepts expose the reality that all things social, cultural, political, and historical cannot be separated from the place and space of its making.
About the Deering Estate
Deering Estate, located at 16701 SW 72 Ave. in Miami, is a 21st Century house museum, cultural and ecological field station, and a national landmark listed on the National Register of Historic Places, owned by the State of Florida and managed by Miami-Dade County Parks, Recreation and Open Spaces Department. Deering Estate is designated as one of seven Miami-Dade County “Heritage Parks” which have a vital role in our community’s history, environment and in providing recreational and cultural experiences.
Cultural Arts Programming at the Deering Estate is made possible with the support of the Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs and the Cultural Affairs Council, the Miami-Dade County Mayor and Board of County Commissioners, and The Deering Estate Foundation, Inc.
About the Deering Estate Foundation
For those who treasure the Deering Estate, who advocate for its preservation and wish to invest in its future, The Deering Estate Foundation provides opportunities for individuals and corporations alike to partake in membership, signature events, and one-of-a-kind experiences, all in service of providing vital funding and support to the Deering Estate. Through these efforts, the foundation fulfills its mission to uphold the legacy of Charles Deering’s cherished 1920s-era property, to provide funding for the cultural, educational and recreational experiences it offers, as well as its significant scientific and archaeological endeavors to conserve its diverse flora, fauna and the eight native ecosystems that thrive on its 450 acres, and to ensure its longevity as a prized American heritage site. Established in 1989, The Deering Estate Foundation, Inc. is a community-based charitable 501(c) 3 Florida Corporation and the philanthropic partner of the Deering Estate.
