Yard Work

December 5, 2017 by Jess

- written by The Umbrella's 2017-2018 Artist-in-Residence, Elizabeth King

On my walks through the neighborhoods of Concord this month, I have developed an obsession with the way people maintain their yards. Gardening, weed whacking, and raking in some combination seem to be almost a way of life for many people. I am interested in the fact that yard work is a solitary, yet communal pass time and no matter how well the task is done, it must be repeated again-usually weekly.

In the paintings I made this month, I focused on these interactions between humans and nature. I am especially interested in capturing the instances where the relationship is symbiotic. Especially as fall comes to an end, I want to highlight this love-hate relationship to nature.