The Erasure of North Hollow

2021, Locally source lumber of five different tree species, locally sourced native grasses

The Erasure of North Hollow recalls the name of Marvin’s Grove before it was renamed. The space was originally rocky grassland before Chancellor James Marvin on a campaign to “beautify” the campus planted the first walnut trees. The curving timbers pinned together are inspired by the plow and the yoke, the tools used to bend so much of nature to human desire. Five species of locally sourced trees make up the timbers. All are species of tree currently in the Grove. The native grasses constrained by the tight wooden embrace are reminders of the last remaining tall grass prairies which exist behind fences, closed in by property lines. This work encourages viewers to think about the hidden stories of the landscaped environments they find themselves. What was here before? And what are the human values we prioritize when we change a landscape? This sculpture references the existence of North Hollow which Marvin’s Grove has been placed on top of like a palimpsest. The story that lies underneath the grove. This kind of covering over is true not only of Marvin’s Grove but of all landscaped spaces. By placing this work in the grove, I encouraged the audience to question landscape planning practices especially on college campuses and grapple with the implications of human perceptions of landscape, beauty, and goodness.