Inspiration
Connections with nature through art
Zach works with children, teens,and intergenerational groups making nature sculpture in urban and natural settings. In November partners of the Children in Nature Collaborative joined Zach to work with inner city high school students to make art with nature at San Jose’s Guadalupe River Park and Gardens.
My journey as an artist began during my childhood in Northern California, where I spent countless hours at the beach, building structures with sand, rocks, and seaweed. As an adult, I’ve continued to work in nature, creating and then photographing temporary sculptures from found natural materials. Through my work, I strive to connect more intimately with nature and to convey the world’s beauty and uncertainty.
While making sculptures in public places, I noticed that passersby were often drawn in. They asked what I was doing, and why. As a way to answer their questions, I started inviting them to work with me. These unplanned collaborations taught me that making nature sculpture connects people with the environment, releases creative energy, and conveys the power of group work. In 2004, I began leading workshops with combined environmental, social, and aesthetic goals.
Leading intergenerational groups has been especially rewarding. At a beach event, a woman was working frantically as the tide rose towards her as-yet-unfinished serpent-like sand sculpture. I suggested to her and a nearby girl that they could work together. The woman seemed skeptical that the girl could be of any use, and the girl was afraid she couldn’t understand what to do. As it turned out, they were a great team. They finished the sculpture in time to delight in watching the waves come in and transform their work.
Environmental education comes about easily when people work with nature. I focus on forging a connection to the site and materials, letting the curiosity of the participants drive any didactic interactions. For example, at one event I worked side by side for half an hour with a boy of about 10, building intricate structures with dried fennel stalks. Out of the blue, the boy asked, “What is this anyway? Bamboo?” I happened to have some bamboo handy, and the boy was rapt as I showed him the similarities and differences between the two plants and told him that the fennel in his hands was not native to California, but had been brought here by immigrants as a food and spice. Some fennel was growing nearby, and we smelled it together.
I’m energized by the growing number of groups reconnecting people with nature. I’ve been fortunate to collaborate with several organizations, leading art-making events that impart a sense of discovered knowledge and inspire collective action on behalf of the environment.
Zach Pine - For more information on Zach Pine’s work, visit www.naturesculpture.com.
