|
Description:
This is a commission for Commerce Bank in Clayton, Missouri. The bank's history goes all the way back to 1865, the same year the American Civil War ended. Before that, Missouri became a state in 1821. I found a pre-settlement research document listing the prairies and plants of Missouri that existed before the state was even a territory, the document was based on the collection of numerous survey field notes used to locate the territorial boundaries. This led me to create an animation of a prairie based on the plants listed. Prairies are still maintained in Missouri; they are an important aspect of the ecology and the history.
Renewal incorporates a number of species indigenous to pre-settlement prairies, including anemone, thimbleweed, arrowhead, bergamot, bluestem grass, climbing prairie rose, cone flower, cordgrass, heliotrope, lobelia, cardinal flower, sunflower, sweet pea, trout lily, and violet missouriensis. Here, I envisioned a burning prairie, a phenomenon that occurs sporadically in nature as well as a practice used for thousands of years by Indigenous peoples. Prairie burning is carried out periodically in order to maintain the health and integrity of the prairie landscape, prohibiting the growth of trees and invasive species while returning nutrients to the soil. Fire whips through the pre-colonial prairie; animated butterflies float gently across the landscape, remaining unharmed. An apparent act of destruction paradoxically prompts growth and renewal.
image
|
