Invasive Species

Spending the summer in the Pacific Northwest, I couldn’t help but be inspired by the region’s rich and diverse plant life. From the neighborhood gardens of Seattle’s Capitol Hill to the old growth forests of Baker Mountain, the Pacific Northwest is marked by verdant beauty. However, the region’s natural ecosystems are at risk of being changed forever by invasions of non-native plant species. These invasive species push out native plants and animals, disrupting the homeostasis of the region’s natural habitats. Invasive Species is a response to this phenomenon. At Smoke Farm’s annual Lo-Fi Performance and Art Festival, on the banks of the Stillaguamish River in Arlington, WA, I invaded an old-growth pine with knitted invasive plants that were encapsulated inside of acrylic balls. These knitted plants, like the invasive species they reference, are simultaneously contained and overtaking, beautiful and dangerous, posing a threat to ecosystems that are hanging by a thread.

(click on the photos to enlarge…then click them again in the next window for high-res)