Front Yard Museum
In Front Yard Museum, site specific labels were created and placed near four exemplary plants, which represent four traditional elements of the suburban landscape.
Front Yard Museum
They are just plants right? Just objects to adorn our architecture. Curated collections which set the tone for our wealth and flaunt our ego. Or are these plants–works of art? Perhaps just like art, some of these plants are also destined to die behind a couch. Surely you must disagree.
But what if your thinking is too narrow? True, these trees, shrubs, perennials, ground covers and grasses are the outdoor decor of our home. But their existence is more than seasonal growth. What if for a moment, these plants are the living representations of time passed? In some neighborhoods, the trees are older than the houses they shade. While in other neighborhoods, the plants were installed yesterday. These plants contain histories. They model symbolism. They support communities and create ecology. They stand stoic without words.
In Front Yard Museum, site specific labels were created and placed near four exemplary plants, which represent four traditional elements of the suburban landscape. Each label contains the plant’s common name; Latin name; country of origin; average size; blooming period; ecological benefits; human uses; and any other interesting facts. As you read the labels, and walk around the yard, think about the plants you see without labels. What might their histories be? What are their interesting facts? What curated collection would you create, if this was your yard?
With the sum total of front lawns in the US, equaling a space larger than the state of Texas. Our front yards could be the largest publicly curated collection of art.
Is there a museum in your front yard? Or is it a space that is just occupied by outdoor decor?
Doug Land.
June 2020 thru August 2020
