Mark Dion

Mark Dion - Tree Garden

Five years on a single project sounds like a lot to me, but after watching the process of his actions I understand that any less and his project might have not worked out. Moving the tree in exactly the correct position and bringing out the bright green through so much effort is truly remarkable. He definitely succeeded in emphasizing nature as a process, a long and grueling process, that takes not only time but effort to blossom. The concept of a living artwork is difficult for me to connect with, as my work revolves more around drawing directly onto the computer or a piece of paper, but I can see the appeal behind his work. Consequently, his work of art changes over time, a 'process' as he put it, so it really does change-- which is what he seemed to want when it came to this particular piece, because he mentioned wanting his audience to have a different experience every time they walked in through the doors. I assume that is exactly what happens!