Martoka, 2021
Kirsten Kjærs Museum, Frøstrup, Denmark

Oak, Hackberry, Tufts of grass, Moss 
Approx. 300 x 100 x 50 cm

Analog Medium Format

I'm invasive in the landscape. Arranging space for myself and taking what I need and want. But the roots resist and when I pull up the grass the sweat breaks out. The branches are tough under my cutters and the straw doesn't cooperate. I try to imitate their patterns with my yarn and needle. The materials don't behave the way I want them to. Still, I bind, tie, pull, and stretch. I continue the structures from underneath the surface of the earth and create a simulation of their reach for the treetops. 

I’m entering nature to observe the different components, textures, samples, and species. Using organic materials for my own purposes but also wishing that the landscape teaches me something. I’m afraid it might be the other way around. 

A witch’s broom is a deformity found in treetops, where the natural structure of the branches is changed. They form a structure from a dense mass of shoots, growing from a single point and the result resembles a bird’s nest or a broom. These formations were believed to protect the horses from the Mare who, in Scandinavian folklore would ride them at night leaving the animals exhausted in the morning. A Martoka was usually picked and placed above the doorway at the entrance to the stables, keeping the animals safe.