Joseph Smolinski - Biography

MIXED GREENS


		ALL ARTISTS Kim Beck Chris Coffin Alessandra Exposito Howard Fonda Tamara Gayer Kimberley Hart Brian Jobe Zane Lewis Joan Linder Christina Mazzalupo Adia Millett Mark Mulroney Rob Nadeau Coke Wisdom O’Neal Frank Olive and Rudy Shepherd Soner Ön Stas Orlovski Paul Plante Kammy Roulner AA Rucci Carol Salmanson Rudy Shepherd Joseph Smolinski Travis LeRoy Southworth Lee Stoetzel Julianne Swartz Steed Taylor Mary Temple Leah Tinari Dirk Westphal WINDOW INSTALLATIONS

Kimberley Hart

There are things in nature that never cease to make me wonder. Living through developing societies, tragedies of war and natural disasters, trees continue to regulate our climate, improve our water quality and clean our air. The oldest and largest organisms on our planet survive a history longer than we can remember.

It was quite a shock the day I came across a giant fake tree looming above the interstate landscape. This pseudo-biotech hybrid was erected to camouflage the cellular communication transmitters beneath its fronds. It struck me as the beginning of a new history yet to be written. In this vision, parasitic cell tower trees populate the landscape in many forms that become historic landmarks, roadside curiosities and survivors of natural disasters.

Through these explorations I wondered what else the tree could become. I began reading about wind power and its aesthetic opponents led me to begin my Tree Turbine project. It is clear that wind-generated electricity is a clean, sustainable alternative to climate-warming fossil fuels. I concluded that if these opposing groups disguised their cell towers as trees then why not disguise the wind turbine?

Trees continue to permeate my work not only through their religious, political and personal histories, but also as means to question technology and the future of the natural world.

QUESTIONS & ANSWERS

Q: Name three things you vow to do before you die.
A: Learn to surf, swim the seven seas, and raise a family with my wife Jessie.

Q: What do you need more than anything else to make art?
A: I am most productive when the music is loud, the sun has set, and there is plenty of wood for the woodstove. A few homebrews always helps a bit too.

Q: What's hanging on your studio walls right now?
A: My wife Jessica Schwind and I share a studio and her work is usually up. I get inspired by her photos and interesting how our work responds to one another. We also have a dartboard that helps with procrastination.

Q: Have you ever used anything in your kitchen to make art?
A: I once did an installation with 500 pounds of potatoes that were converted into potato batteries. They powered tiny red flashing led lights and smelled pretty bad by the time the show was over.

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