Witness Tree Project: The Force of Nature
This stool discusses the connection between man and nature. After Frederick Billings purchased the Marsh- Billings- Rockefeller National Historical Park from George Perkins Marsh in 1869, Billings managed the forest with the latest scientific technique and replanted the landscape. Billings eventually built a manmade pond, The Pogue, to create picturesque scenery and provide fresh water for his mansion inhabitants. As time passes, under the National Park Service management, the Pogue now offers a diversity of habitats for wildlife such as fish, turtles, frogs, and ducks.
The top of the stool represents the overall outline of the Pogue in an organic and naturalistic manner. Underneath, three legs support the top by penetrating to the top. The three legs are in a manmade, artificial form, contrasting with the organic gesture of the top. I want to show man's impact on the environment and the landscape. The action of having a direct penetration shows man's immediate effect on the environment. There are positive impacts and adverse effects, which the Pogue now serves as habitats for wildlife, but in the past, the Billings interrupt the land by building an artificial pond. It may be a destructive gesture in history, but as time goes on, nature comes into play and solve the conflict by combining man and nature. This stool serves as a dialogue of the confluence of man and nature, from conflict to harmony. It represents the connectivity and relationship between man and nature.
