Heart of Reeds
Chris Drury, 2005, earth, paths, plants, reeds and water, 2.5 acres, © 2005, courtesy of the artist
Chris Drury
Chris Drury is an environmental artist whose monumental works draw connections between the natural landscape and the mark of humanity. For each work, Drury researches the site and its context, and uses local materials and the contours of the land to tell visual stories about our relationship to the natural world. In works such as Wave Chamber and Hut of the Shadow, Drury creates a stone chamber that functions as a camera obscura, projecting images of the surrounding environment into the confines of the human space. These works invite us to bring nature into our lives in graceful, sustainable ways. In other works, Drury imprints the landscape with vast symbols of our environmental impact, often using patterns from nature. In Carbon Sink, for example, Drury creates a giant vortex from charred logs. The vortex expresses the connection between local coal mining activity and the adverse effects of climate change on nearby forests. In Winnemucca Whirlwind, Drury creates a circular design on a dry lake bed to symbolize the lake’s history as a center of Native American life prior to the diversion of its waters for agricultural use. These works are a portal to understanding the choices we face as a species: Will we follow the organic pathways found throughout nature or will we continue to leave our mark on the landscape through extraction and neglect?
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Carbon Sink
Chris Drury, 2011, beetle-killed pine logs and coal, 14 meter diameter, © 2011, courtesy of the artist
Chris Drury installed “Carbon Sink” at the University of Wyoming in late 2011. The work draws a connection between the local coal industry and the devastation of forests throughout the region by pine beetles. In thisshort video, Drury describes various aspects of the project, including his inspiration, his use of the vortex as a visual symbol and the significance of the materials used in the work. Although Drury intended for this work to remain until it naturally decomposed, the university removed it abruptly in May 2012 in response to pressure from coal industry representatives and state legislators. Learn more about the removal decision and the controversy it sparked in thisarticle.
The pine forests of Western North America have been afflicted by an explosion in the population of bark beetles, including the voracious mountain pine beetle. Recent studies have tied this population growth to droughts in the region, which have become more common due to climate change. In addition, as temperatures rise, pine beetles extend their range to higher elevations, attacking vulnerable species of pine that lack adaptive defenses to the beetles. Learn more about these troubling trends in this article from Climate Central.
Fingermaze
Chris Drury, 2006, grass, York stone, lime mortar, 30 x 42 meters, © 2006, courtesy of the artist
In “Fingermaze,” Drury creates a powerful visual representation of humanity’s impact on the natural world. How can we measure this impact? Global Footprint Network has developed Ecological Footprint metrics, which quantify how resources are used and what is available. Learn more about the world’s footprint in this summary from Global Footprint Network.
In “Wave Chamber” and “Hut of the Shadow,” Chris Drury uses a centuries-old, optical technology known as the camera obscura. Trace the history of the camera obscura in this timeline and learn about how the camera obscura works in thisshort animated video. Zoom into the images to see the projection created within each of these stone chambers.
Waves and Time
Chris Drury, 2011, earth, grass, dimensions variable © 2011, courtesy of the artist
Throughout his work, Chris Drury employs visual patterns from nature, including a variety of spiral and vortex patterns. For centuries, humans have used mathematics to describe natural patterns. The Fibonacci sequence, for example, is a series of numbers that describes many of the forms used by Drury. See more natural patterns that follow the Fibonacci sequence in this post and create your own with this interactive pattern generator.
Winnemucca Whirlwind
Chris Drury, 2008, raked earth, 300 feet in diameter © 2008, courtesy of the artist
In “Winnemucca Whirlwind,” Drury used a rake to create a large-scale drawing on a dry lake bed in Nevada. The drawing, which resembles a Native American design, refers to a past era in which the fish and wildlife of the lake sustained a local tribe of Paiute. The lake has been drained by the diversion of water to support local agriculture. Learn more about this project in thisshort video.
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Chris Drury uses the patterns of nature to highlight the intersection of human activity and the natural world. If you are inspired by his work, you can take action in your own life. Select one or more pledges listed below and spread the word. You can also learn more by visiting our Pledge Center. Let’s #EndOvershoot and care for our #OneEarth.