American Reclamation Project
Watercolor
22 1/4" X 22 1/4"
©Kat O'Connor, 2022
Image #515

Robert Adams’ Bulldozed Slash, Tillamook County, Oregon hit home after seeing a trail that I often rode horses on destroyed. Trees were knocked over and piled up to use as temporary roads for logging equipment to move into an area that had previously been full of wildlife and beautiful, peaceful, spaces.
Daily I walk through several neighborhoods in Worcester. Thinking of the repeating designs on the Tapa Cloth, I sought out circular shapes that evidenced nature’s tenacity in reclaiming space altered by human beings. Lichen and moss grow back on rocks moved to create walls and architectural elements. They cover and begin to erode walkways and macadam. Erosion from water, ice, wind, rust, and even human activity (vandalism, bullet holes, or changes in planned use) all indicate that nature is constantly in a state of reclaiming her space. American Reclamation Project is a small bit of hope for the future.
Kat's statement about this piece for ArtsWorcester's Impact, in partnership with the Fitchburg Art Museum