The Embodiment of Making Trail Art

The concept of embodiment emerges from the art forms of dance and drama.  In Method Meets Art: Arts-Based Research Practice by Patricia Leavy (2009), she notes that “the entire body can be viewed as an experiential and memory repository for what “we know” (p. 184).  In an effort to explore embodiment in the context of my current research project, which involves exploring the meaning of encountering art on a hiking trail, I participated in three different art-marking experiences recently.  I did so because I wanted to experience the act of making art that one might encounter on a trail in the woods.

In the first art-making effort, I made a hanging basket out of tree branches, based upon art that I had encountered on a hiking trail at the Fruitlands Museum in Harvard, MA. I noticed that the artist used flexible, tree branches and connected them with short pieces of wire.  I cut about 10 short branches from several saplings growing in my backyard.  Then I fashioned six of them together to form a hanging basket. (see figure 1 below).

The second project I participated in was an iron melt workshop at the Andres Institute of Art, Brookline, NH. This organization owns several miles of hiking trails on a former ski area.  These trails contain dozens of impressive art objects constructed out of stone, iron and other materials.  As a workshop participant I was given a block of hardened sand and a large nail, which was to be used to carve a figure into the sand. Once the carving was completed, I coated it with a solution containing graphite.The form was then placed outside in a bed of sand and leveled, waiting for the iron being melted in an outside oven to approximately 3,000 degrees. The final step involved the pouring of melted iron into the form, which was done by several workers wearing protective clothing.

I have provided 3 photos of the process below.  This first one shows the mold made out of sand, the second shows the pouring of melted iron into the mold, the last photo shows the finished product, note that it is in reverse of the mold.

These experiences of art-making were filled with meaning for me because I was completely unfamiliar with the processes involved before I started.  As I reflect on the actions of forming branches and carving sand, I cannot help but feel a deep connection to each object. I suspect it is because I fashioned these objects with my hands and my creative ideas.  I also feel that I "know" these objects well, which calls to mind Leahy's quote above referring to the body as a "repository for what we know" (pg 184).

Hiking and Trail Art - A Dance-Based Inquiry

In Dance and Movement, Patricia Leavy (2009) builds a strong case for the role of dance as a research tool, “the transcendent and consciousness-raising capacities of dance can be harnessed by qualitative researchers to build methods practices congruent with related research purposes” (p. 181). This chapter in Method Meets Art: Arts Based Research Practice describes the uniqueness of dance as an art form well suited to support various ways of knowing.  She references Stinson (2004) who notes that, “dance teaches a person to feel from the inside and correspondingly how to use the body as a source of knowledge and locus of meaning…the body is a microcosm of the world and a venue for understanding meaning” (p. 184).  Dance appears to be the perfect art form to conduct an arts-based inquiry into the relationship between trail art and hiking, a project that I have recently created called the Midstate Trail Art (MTA) project. 

The goal of the MTA project, as stated on its facebook page is “to introduce nature-based original art onto the Midstate Trail in order to deepen the aesthetic experience for hikers, promote usage of this natural resource and build a community of artists/outdoor enthusiasts” (Cormier, 2012).  This project is the juxtaposition of my interests as a community arts practitioner, hiking enthusiast and researcher interested in arts-based research.  I view this project as both a community arts initiative as well a research inquiry to explore the meaning and lived experience of encountering nature-based art on this well-traveled and popular hiking trail.  I intend to conduct a qualitative research study which will carefully document the entire process.  Although I have not yet taken the first step, which is to prepare a research design, I am confident that I will this inquiry will employ participant observation, interviews, and the collection of artifacts.

My objective is to use the modern dance art form to portray the lived experience of the following actions that I have either experienced myself or witnessed firsthand.  These actions include, hiking on the trail, encountering trail art while hiking on the trail, introducing another person to the trail and to the art on the trail.  I intend to collaborate with a colleague who is a professional modern dancer and choreographer.  This collaboration will include the process of creating choreography that portrays the lived experience of hiking on the trail, encountering art while hiking on the trail, and potentially, the process of researching the lived experiences noted above.  I intend to participate as a hiker/dancer/researcher in this inquiry, which will entail creating the choreography, rehearsing the choreography and ultimately performing the choreographer in a public venue with my colleague.  I feel confident that I will be able to rehearse and perform as a dancer because I have taken dance classes taught by my colleague in the recent past.  My hope is that by using dance in this way, I will embody the lived experience of encountering art on the trail.   

I also hope to explore the notions of the lived experience of coping with physical constraints and limits while on the trail. I recently took a 2 day overnight hike on the Midstate Trail while carrying a backpack of more than 30 pounds. This experience resulted in severe discomfort for many hours for which there was very little remedy available due to the logistics involved with hiking in the woods from place to another, 20 miles apart.  I finished the hike without any serious physical injury however the experience provided a sober realization that I may be unable to attempt similar adventures in the future.  This feeling was not unlike the longing that Celeste Snowber (2009) wrote about in Writing Rhythm: Movement as Method, an article in Leavy’s text noted above.  Snowber is a professional trained modern dancer who injured her knee and was told that she may never dance again.  In the article, Snowber described a dance-based inquiry she undertook, which explored, “the lived relationships of space and time, and the visceral connections between longing, desire and limits” (p. 207).  She decided to dance her way through her injury by incorporating a chair into her choreography that would support her.  However, she found that the chair also limited her mobility, which forced her to move in ways she was not used to.

By encountering the limit of a chair, I was forced to create movements in a way I never would have imagined, as I had to adjust my body to not leaping, jumping, hopping, or landing hard on my feet.  As I intellectually explored the notion of longing as it related to desire, my whole body had the opportunity to wrestle, stay with, and eventually delight in the limit.  The limit transformed me to a place of support for my body and shifted my perception of limits in life experience.  Through the boundary, I am invited into a whole new language of dance – one that fits my midlife body, which has physical limitations and yet more choreographic possibilities (2009).

Like Snowber, I intend to use dance to probe the notion of longing I have recently experienced as it relates to the inability of my body to carry the weight required to camp overnight in the woods.  I hope to use dance to embody and re-live the lived experience of encountering this painful, physical barrier while hiking the Midstate Trail.  As noted above, I also intend to explore the lived experience of encountering art on the Midstate Trail.  I think dance will be the perfect art form to conduct this inquiry because it is movement-based, like the act of hiking on a trail it.  It is an interpretative art-form well suited to expressing the meaning of a lived experience and based on Snowber’s research, it seems particularly well-suited for an inquiry into the lived experience of encountering aesthetic objects and physical constraints and limitations.

References:

Cancienne, M. B., & Snowber, C. N. (2009) Writing Rhythm: Movement as Method. In P. Leavy, Method Meets Art: Arts Based Research Practice (pp. 198 – 214). New York: The Guilford Press.

Cormier, P. (2012). Midstate Trail Art Project.  http://www.facebook.com/#!/MidstateTrailARTProject

Leavy, P. (2009). Method Meets Art: Arts Based Research Practice. New York: The Guilford Press.

The Midstate Trail ART Project

This project is picking up steam.  Last weekend, my friend Ellen and I hiked the Princeton section of the trail and recorded a you tube video about the inspiration for this project, which you can see here.

What is the project?  This project seeks to introduce nature-based original art on to the Midstate Trail in order to deepen the aesthetic experience for hikers, promote usage of this natural resource and build a community of artists/outdoor enthusiasts.

 
Ok, then I created a facebook page and put some content on it including a brief description, some photos and the video.  Here is a link.  If it does not open for you, friend me at petecormier@comcast.net and you should get it

http://www.facebook.com/MidstateTrailARTProject?ref=hl#

Lastly, in the last two weeks, I have submitted local cultural council grant requests to 13 towns that the trail passes through for $300-350 each, most of which will be used for artist stipends.  So, this last image is a trail map so you can see the towns involved.

Art in the Woods of Massachusetts

During the last 3 weekends, I have been hiking the Midstate Trail, which is a 95 mile hiking trail that bisects central Mass and runs from New Hampshire to Rhode Island.  During my hike through Princeton, I came across this odd fellow made out of wood and rock.

It gave me an idea.  What if the Midstate Trail was filled with art work, made up of natural materials found on the trail and other random found objects.  I know how this whimsical create affected me, it made me wonder, who created it, when was it created, how was it created, why was it created, how many people were involved, was it spontaneously constructed or carefully planned.  I realized this object of art had deeped the experience for me.  It was a delightful surprise.

So, anyways, when I got back from hike, I drafted a 1 page proposal, looked up contact information for the Midstate Trail Committee and fired it off to the email address posted on their website.  Hopefully, they will be interested in this collaboration.   Below is another couple images of my notebook and my notes, which I wrote while on the trail today.

 

How to Apply for a LCC Grant

The Mass Cultural Council (MCC) is a state organization that makes funds available annually to local cultural councils (LCC) in order to support the arts, humanities and interpretive science projects in their communities.  Since there are 329 LCC’s representing most of the 351 cities of towns in the state, it is very likely that your town has an LCC.   To get started, go to the mcc website
https://www.mass-culture.org/ and click on Applicants.  Here you can find info on the program guidelines including eligibility and criteria.  You can also easily search for your own LCC by city/town name.   For example, the page below comes up when you click on the town of Lee. 

Note the contact info for the council as well as several folder tabs.  Check the Local Guidelines tabs to find info related to your specific council, like how many copies of the application is required.  Another great source is the Grant Recipients tab, which identifies the grant recipients and amounts awarded by your LCC in the previous year.  Lastly, click the Forms tab to download the application form.  

This is where the bulk of the effort comes in although it should take you no more than an hour to complete it.  Describe your project in the spaces provided including target audience, public benefit and artist qualifications.  There is space for you to identify the project expenses and income.  In preparing your funding request, it helps to be mindful of the types of projects and amounts previously awarded  by your LCC.

Lastly, be aware of the October 15 deadline which most LCC's adhere to so be sure to send in your application in time.  Some LCC's invite grant recipients to attend a community meeting during the evaluation process to describe your project to the council.  I encourage you to do this because it is usually a very informal setting and applicants are often asked to restrict their presentation to 10 minutes or so.  It is also a great way  for you to promote your project and engage council members, other artists and any interested community members who attend. 

So, if you think you have a worthwhile arts project that can benefit your community, check out your LCC and submit a grant.  It's easy and you might just get that special project funded!

Cello Blues

Well, I have to admit that I have not been practicing my cracked cello as much as I should have.  However, I did practice it yesterday and today so hopefully this trend will continue.  I decided to do something different today: I brought my cracked cello outside to the backyard to practice.  

It was better than being in a stuffy house on this gorgeous day.  I took this photo of it with my daughter’s greyhound, Lacy, who was keeping me company out there.  As I write this it occurs to me that dogs and cellos have a few things in common: they both like to lie around but if you play with them they come to life.  Now, I don't want you to think I am not taking good care of my cracked cello.  I have learned that the best way to store a cellos is on its side.  My music teacher does it.

My practice session consists of three things.  First, I practice the scales, starting with the low C, which is the lowest string, when played open.  I play the scale up and down with my fingers several times before I pick up the bow.  It sounds pretty good. Then I pick up the bow and play the scales up and down several times.  It sounds pretty bad, kind of screechy.  You see the bow has to be perpendicular to the strings at all times.  This is a little tough to do, but easy to tell if you are not doing it right because you can hear the difference.  So there is a bit of trial and error you have to get through to get it right.  But, I am pretty proud that at least I always remember to loosen the bow after each practice.

Then there are 2 songs I practice.  The first is Ode To Joy by Beethoven.  I picked it because it is a classical tune that I already know by ear, even though after a few times it is pretty boring.  But, since I already play both guitar and bass, the fingering comes very easy for me, especially if it is a song I already know.  The other song I practice is Hallelujah by Leonard Cohen.  I heard a cellist play this at a Boston Pops concert a few weeks ago and it was mesmerizing.  I play it with my fingers first, which again sounds pretty good and then I pick up the bow and the screechiness (not a real word) ensues. But I persevere, because -- I know I will get better, if I stay with it.

That’s all I have to do: stay – with – it.  And I will.