Travel Log: 11/19/2008

Yesterday I finally caught a break to explore in the local scene of Richmond, here's a small travel log of what I saw.

A friend and I decided to try our luck first at the University of Richmond, an area we hadn't really had much exposure to. On campus we found grand buildings, a Greek reminiscent amphitheater, and this beautiful, docile lake. The lake was alone to itself. No one was around it, besides us, and the ducks swimming. Lined along the lake were hollowed stumps such as this one. I found it interesting to find that each and every stump was hollow, each varying in size and condition. This one appeared to be the least affected by people and most in tune with nature-the others we found garbage, silly string, and other indications of tampering. It was about a foot and a half tall, with a hole spanning a depth of about 4 and a half feet deep. The stump itself may not have been an amazing site, but it certainly provided a seat for the view ahead of it. I would hope that people would find this use more often than using it as some sort of natural trash bin like the others we found.


Just some of the ducks we found. They didn't seem to mind us. The next time I visit, I'll see if I can stow away some bread for these guys.


From here, we moved onto heading back downtown. There were some really good pictures to be taken, and hopefully I'll have the ability to take them. So this is a note to self: For the next travel log, explore downtown area and find some examples of where and how nature is present within the city.

With that, here are some of my findings in the latter of the day.


As some of you guys may have seen, there is this really cool tree in Monroe Park, located just in front of the old Engineering Building. It's got character, that's for sure. I tried to determine whether this was of someone's art or not, but I really am not sure. Either way, it was a pretty amazing site, right in our backyard. This may be a prime example of earth art at its purest form with its completely natural medium, and simplicity strewn throughout it. I'd say it's fairly subtle, but the work commands your attention.

This may have been the best part of my travel log. After migrating to the center of the park, I found a man staring directly at the fountain. I found it pecular, considering the fountain was waterless, filled with leaves, and was the same fountain that had always been there. I then looked up, and was taken back by what sat atop. I'm thinking that it was an adult, red-tailed hawk (I'm no orinthologist, so if I'm wrong please correct me). See the close-up below. And there it sat for some time--it was a beautiful sight of nature, a degree to which I never would have expected to see in Monroe Park. Especially because we all know we have been guilty of simply stereotyping the park to being a home of the homeless, rather a place of nature. I'm certainly not going to hold it that low a standard after seeing this yesterday.

Here's a closeup of the hawk. It may not necessarily be earth art, but it certainly is another example of nature in its prime. I think for that reason, all of us would appreciate seeing something like this, if you truly are connected or interested in the environment as most of the artists we have learned about are or were. I'm no Richard Long, but I do believe that one of the greatest things we could do is to take a trip outside, and document our findings as he did. Next time as I said, I'll venture downtown, and try to find where nature exists and what art can be derived from it.