The Exquisite Garden Project

 "if you want to build a ship, don't drum up people to gather wood, divide the work, and give orders. Instead, teach them to yearn for the vast and endless sea..."

Antoine de Saint-Exupery, from the Little Prince

Station Eleven Redux : Oceanside Museum, Oceanside , California , March 2018

The Oceanside Museum invited us down the coast to their beautiful Museum to produce an installation that interpreted the dystopian novel, Station Eleven . We had a practice run last year at the ICB building in Sausalito, California. This time around the space was larger, and we used it fully, enlarging the train track run, and expanding our village of cardboard houses and buildings.The community of Oceanside is stupendous, and the Museum is a vital hub of the community, which is such a wonderful thing to be part of. There were a number of arther artists and artist teams in the exhibit, and that was invigorating, and the first time we have produced an installation alongside other artists. It was great!!!!  The exhibit will be up for five months, through August 4th, 2018. 

 

Upcoming Exhibit: Survival is Insufficient, March 17th-August 5th, 2018

Oceanside Museum of Art, Oceanside California

For the second time, the Exquisite Gardeners are interpreting themes found in the novel Station Eleven. This exhibition addresses the central role that the arts play in our lives. A central concept of the novel Station Eleven is that survival requires more than basic needs, that there is value in art and creative expression that makes it intrinsic to life. The Exquisite Gardeners will use their storehouse of discarded and familiar objects and build a scale dystopian environment with trains, bells, and whistles.

The Exquisite Gardeners " Station Eleven Project" September 2017, Sausalito , CA.

Hey Everyone! The Exquisite Gardeners  are showing up September 11th through the 29th at the historic ICB building in Sausalito , California to create a themed project, the " Station eleven Project", based loosley on a dystopian novel by Emily St.John Mandel. The installation will be in the Gallery 111 within the ICB.The novel connects the themes of despair and hope, loss, and discovery, decay and rejuvenation, perfect material for our troupe of creatives. Sam Dantone is coming down from Oregon with his crazy art mind and skills, and the Guthrie brothers, Don and Ralph, contributed amazingly altered G scale train cars and engines for the kinetic element we want to add to this years installation. The last two weeks of the project we will invite the artists within the building to contribute their creative minds , hearts, and hands to the project. Keep posted for pictures of the event sometime in October!

station 11.png

The Wonder Project 2015

The WONDER PROJECT emerged from our desire to experience some community outreach work. We Gardeners believe that we should share the fun we have in creating wonderments with everyone. Joe B. recalled the concrete poetry movement of the late 60's and early 70's, wherein the size and shape of the letterforms in poetry had as much to do with content as the word, or words themselves.Viola! Jeff H. and Tim K. and Joe worked on creating huge letters that are sculpture as well as content -evocative...WONDER was the word chosen after much discussion by the more literary-minded of the Exquisite Gardeners...Deepa J. put in the most input, and WONDER won out! Then all the logistics of building, storing, and delivery came down the pike..but, bottom line, we had a great time, especially with the kids, who never miss an opportunity to play in the paint!

Images showing the raw letters transitioning to primed letters and volunteers who have really gotten into their work.

Installation at Museum Craft and Design, San Francisco 2014

'Lexi B. striking her rock star pose...in front of the amazing 1930 Chevy truck we borrowed from the ranch she lives on , Boeger Winery.

'Lexi B. striking her rock star pose...in front of the amazing 1930 Chevy truck we borrowed from the ranch she lives on , Boeger Winery.

Merryll S. and Sam D. with treasures soon to be placed SOMEWHERE in the installation.

Merryll S. and Sam D. with treasures soon to be placed SOMEWHERE in the installation.

An improvisational sculpture install by yours truly and Don G.

An improvisational sculpture install by yours truly and Don G.

Old school hand sign painter Don G. working on Gardener Will B.'s shed installation.

Old school hand sign painter Don G. working on Gardener Will B.'s shed installation.

New Gardener Deepa J. pausing from toiling away producing gorgeous drawings of our installation work.

New Gardener Deepa J. pausing from toiling away producing gorgeous drawings of our installation work.

Exquisite Gardener's Beth Mullins in Sunset magazine!

Greetings all EG followers! Wanted to share with you a coup by Exquisite Gardener Beth Mullins, who got awarded the honor of making a "model" garden for the Sunset magazine's once a year Wine and Garden gala at the Sunset magazine headquarters in Northern California. Sunset then published the chosen gardens for the Fall issue of the magazine. I have included the page below. As some may know, Beth is a talented artist and the only one of our collective who is also an actual landscape designer..a REAL Gardener, not just a metaphorical one! Beth also has a PHD in Microbiology, which I am assuming helps with the plant Latin terms? Anyway, congratulations to Beth.

Here is the Sunset magazine spread….

Here is the Sunset magazine spread….

Meet an Original Exquisite Gardener : Jeff Hvid

Jeff Hvid was there when it all began in 2009, and has been a solid contributing member ever since. I call Jeff the Thoreau of Marin County, California, because he loves the natural world here more than anybody.

For 30 years or so Jeff has been , on his own time, with no recognition, been cleaning the creeksides and shorelines of this County. He started piling up the stuff he dragged up the hills onto the road into "art" because he didn't want folks adding their own junk to the pile before he could get back to pick it up.

I have followed Jeff down to creek bottoms and seen his installations of old wood and shoes etc., artfully arranged around the often- seen graffiti at bridges and overpasses here in the County. It was like encountering a magical place where the junk just got up and arranged itself into art. Before I saw these, I don't think anybody else had.

Jeff knows the flowers, plants, birds and animals here like nobody. To hear his stories of seeing a mama otter swimming with her kits in the creek, while above on the sidewalks people stroll on unaware is mesmerizing. I have seen a hidden world right here in our County by hanging out with Jeff.

Jeff has been making purposeful art with the things he finds for quite a few years now, and they are amazing pieces, left as much as possible as is, with some gentle nudging by Jeff. These are artworks of beauty and respect, and truly original in a way that few can claim. His work can be seen at the Fairfax , CA. gallery, The Mine. ( www.gallerymine.com )

Below is a typical Jeff Hvid piece.It is made from a shore-scavenged boat seat part, with discarded Bic lighters that Jeff cleans up after the fisherman who use them leave.They are wired onto the wood frame with scavenged wire, and this piece shines like a stained glass window in the light. There is much Museum shown "fine art" that aspires to this level of respect for materials and social good at the same time, but few are as unself- conscious as this piece.

Jeff hvid art

And grows…and grows...

Sid and Suhas working up a sweat

Sid and Suhas working up a sweat

MaryLee and Suhas having good times with junk!

Don G and the famous Tim W. looking pleased.

Gardener Terry B. at work.

Multi media guru Gardener Elia V. at a rare still moment

A sidelong view of the very Rauschenburgian improvisational wall piece headed up by Holden C., with assistance from Guy.M., Merryll S., and Suhas and Sid

Showing the results of Exquisite Garden intensity.

Another nests grows here..

A nice view of Gardener Deepa J.'s superlative drawing/paintings...we love her addition to the Gardeners!

A nice view of Gardener Deepa J.'s superlative drawing/paintings...we love her addition to the Gardeners!

 Autobiographical panels that the Gardeners and Museum staff did to achieve mingled destinies

 Autobiographical panels that the Gardeners and Museum staff did to achieve mingled destinies

a view of Guy M.'d very popular kinetic monkey machine

a view of Guy M.'d very popular kinetic monkey machine

An arty view of the insane gnarly NEST made of wood molding trimmings I got from a cabinet shop..with the gold leafed chair captured inside ...Gardeners 'lexi B, and Benva went insane on this structure. Beth M., Holden C., Tim W. and probably others…

An arty view of the insane gnarly NEST made of wood molding trimmings I got from a cabinet shop..with the gold leafed chair captured inside ...Gardeners 'lexi B, and Benva went insane on this structure. Beth M., Holden C., Tim W. and probably others helped out on this raw creative wonderment. How we are going to dismantle it and get out of the Museum I have no idea!!!!!!! ( Termites?)

The Garden grows!

Here we are at the Museum of Craft and Design in San Francisco making Magic happen ! This is a nest structure that has morphed shape a couple times... We are on our fourth day of creation and it is good!!!!

The Exquisite Gardeners Guy and Holden discussing vital stuff

 Kim contemplating the NEST.

Gardener Will working on his composition.

a view past the Chevy flatbed toward Deepa and Benva.

It begins again...

We are building another nest , but our own design this time.  Using grapevine cuttings and manzanita from the Boeger Winery, which is clearing land for new vineyards, and is in pruning season. Gardener Lexi B. is the source for this. We are also getting a 1920's Willys / Knight touring car in patinated disrepair from them for our Garden....

The Nest Survives!

Here is a picture of Gardener Joe B. and Mike, who keeps a watchful eye on all the goings on at Linden Street and Campovida, site of our NEST project. Rumor has it that Mike likes to carve wood...Joe gave him some carving tools and wood...of course with ulterior motives...Mike will surely be asked to join the Gardeners next Bay Area event!

 

Joe and Mike

Joe and Mike

The responses to our NEST project were many and varied, here is one of our favorites, validating our view that when the Exquisite Gardeners get to work , magic happens...

I just stumbled upon the nest in West Oakland on Linden Street. I cannot express what it was that I felt walking through it. I think the work that has been done is beyond words and extremely incredible. It touches on something much different than regular interaction with an object or site that I often have. Thank you.
— Deborah

The Nest Rises in Oakland


Holden Crane's rig to transport the Nest frame. 

The Nest frame goes up...

Jeff Hvid's collection of bottle caps

Good stuff in 'lexi's truck

Don G. wrestling the Arundo Grass

Our beautiful Oakland location, the sun sets behind the nest...

The Gardeners have a mascot!

Shouldn't every Collaborative Art Installation Team have a mascot..football teams do, right? Conveniently, Joe's daughter Kate has a charismatic French Bulldog named Rocky. Rocky has a toy built from a special piece of Exquisite Gardener's trove of exquisite junk..an old metal jug. Joe figured Rocky likes noise and challenge, so a rope and the jug create the perfect Rockymania event. Hope the Gardeners don't mind this sacrifice of an awesome piece of junk. If you get lucky you might see Rocky at the next Exquisite Gardeners' event!

Gather       --      Inspire        --      Create