Cotton Grass

An ephemeral artwork.
08.2009

Artist
A. Traviss Corry

Photographer:
Brandon Fields, Chicago USA

Location:
• A floating sphagnum moss meadow in Burns Bog, Delta, BC, Canada.

A. Traviss Corry
Artist Statement

“This floating peat and sphagnum meadow is habitat for Cotton Grass (Eriophorum angustifolium), a plant introduced from Europe.

I harvested hundreds of Cotton Grass Seed Heads, and then inserted them in a line into the sphagnum moss carpet over a period of ten hours; an intimate experience of this landscape. A landscape dominated by mosses, tiny Bog Cranberry vines, and the carnivorous Sundew plant, whose sticky lures sparkled in the evening light as the sun set low behind the surrounding forest of stunted, gnarled Shore Pine.

This work's temporary nature speaks of the ephemeral nature of all things. My work brought the appearance of this landscape back to how it would have appeared before the introduction of the beautiful introduced Eriophorum. The installed line of Seed Heads illustrates the 'human-introduced' concept to the viewer in a juxtaposition of human influence and organic nature.

This work brought me a day of personal tranquility. It created a gesture to be shared through photography.”

Brandon Fields, Photographer, Quote

“Being here today gave me a chance to focus on the portraiture of the landscape as well as the people interacting with it. Ephemeral Art like this demonstrates how we are all a part of nature, and contributes to our global awareness of our connection to nature. It also gives us a chance to get muddy and wet and not be afraid of nature. The Bog, being in the middle of Vancouver in an urban environment is just so rare to have. It’s like finding your Walden, and everyone needs that. ”