last days/first field involved the planting of a small indoor field. Why? Influenced by the writings of deep ecologist Dolores LaChapelle, poet and environmentalist Wendell Berry, and food historian Michael Pollan, I had been thinking at length about our connections to the natural world, the stance of patience and care involved in planting, and the “affection” that Berry refers to that ties us to our humanity.
During the process, the dancers and I visited a number of small, educational or community farms– among them Red Hook Community Farm and Eagle Street Rooftop Farm in Brooklyn, Battery Urban Farm in Manhattan, Sylvester Manor on Shelter Island, and the Center for BioRegional Living in Ellenville, a site for permaculture education. It felt fitting to share the act of planting which we have both witnessed and experienced with an audience as an act of our own affection.
In its inimitable way, the Center for the Arts at Wesleyan University came to my aid and gave me an opportunity to practice planting a field of seedlings in a dance studio! In November 2012, we held a workshop about art, activism, and durational practice in which 10 students joined me, dancers Donna Costello and Paloma McGregor, and composer Kristin Norderval in planting a small field of blue corn.
This spring, I commissioned two young farmers, Henry Sweets and Camilla Hammer, to plant our seedlings. They grew kale and basil in a cold frame built by Henry in a backyard in Bushwick, as you can see in the pictures below. Thanks to Henry and Camilla, the seedlings grew into sturdy little performers. Back up crops of organic basil and blue corn were also grown at Wesleyan University by Jeff Gilarde, who runs the Wesleyan greenhouse. Through the kindness of Jeff and the Center for the Arts, we knew we’d have plants even if the outdoor crops in Brooklyn were to fail. Basil and corn were transported to Brooklyn on May 9 and delivered by the generous help of Professors Bill Johnston and Lori Gruen and fellow Creative Campus artist Eiko Otake! So for our May 9 performance we planted three crops (kale, corn, and basil) which audience members took home to their yards and windowsills after the show.
