Participating Artists: at Carkeek Park: Anette Lusher April Lelia Thendara Kida Gee Chris Papa Barbara De Pirro Gabriel Brown Aaron Haba Brian Gerich Miguel Edwards By Hand Fiber Consortium Reginald Brooks Stephen Rock Zucker, Turner, Jacobson Peppé Julie Lindell Matt Babcock at Point Shilshole Beach: David Francis Dan Smith Sylwia Tur Eden Rivers Teresa Burrelsman Sponsored by: Center on Contemporary Art Carkeek Park Advisory Council Seattle Parks and Recreation Associated Recreational Council Supported by: 4Culture Site Specific Seattle Mayor's Office of Arts & Cultural Affairs QFC Potter Construction		Site 3: Chris Papa Seattle, Washington Graft 2011 This piece deals with the complex relationship between human artifice and the natural world. The balance between wilderness and development has tipped overwhelmingly in favor of areas impacted by human activity, and the effects are becoming more pronounced and impossible to ignore. As a result, the modern conceptual separation of human and nature has become difficult to maintain. The basic statement of this sculpture is that the products of our actions, whether destructive or benign, intentional or accidental, are integral parts of the planet's biosphere. Nature as an objectified "other" does not exist. As a secondary theme, the sculpture is a response specific to the orchard site. Agriculture is the quintessential way in which people interface with the natural environment. A fruit tree, genetically altered from its original state and sustained by people, is a hybrid of natural and artificial qualities. Symbolic of the ambiguity in the term "natural", the piece is grafted to a tree stump, referring to the method used to propagate fruit trees in which a scion is joined to a rootstock. The twisting, irregular form of the sculpture is organic but belied by its faceted structure of milled lumber scavenged from pallets and produce crates. It emulates natural growth although it is clearly the product of culture. The raw wood used in the piece's construction will gradually turn grey over the course of the exhibition, slowly approaching the color of the weathered tree stump and reaffirming the artwork's place in the cycle of life that includes decomposition. I believe the quest for successful integration of civilization and the natural environment is the central issue of our time and must be addressed in contemporary art.