REDSTARTstudio

Lauri found a redwood board under the Bay Bridge about 8 years ago. For most of those years it has been leaning against the wall of our hall. A few years ago I carved the ichimatsu pattern on the top. Last week I finished another Cabinet for Nathalie at Grand Avenue Acupuncture Center and used the board for the top. Recycled redwood comprises all the woods used — some of which seems to have survived a fire at some point, and almost has the consistency of charcoal. This cabinet measures 45″ wide by 32″ tall and 11″ inches deep.

A garden-maintenance sculpture.  Earlier this month, I removed some Eucalyptus globulus stump sprouts from the retention pool above the wetland in the Australian Hollow at  Blake Garden. The sprouts were growing out of a large stump from a tree that was removed a number of years ago. We have been trimming them back each year. There were 10 sprouts in all, ranging from 8 to 14 feet. All of but one of the sprouts had opposite branching patterns. Curiously one had a whorled pattern with 3 branches emerging from each node. I began by removing the leaves and trimming each branch off at the first node adjacent to the main trunk. Next, I transported the sprouts to the top of the Hollow, and there decided to strip the bark off the trunks, leaving the red bark on the branches. Several days later I installed the 9 of the sprouts in the garden green house.

“C ACACIA” is the third collaboration-intervention between Peter Suchecki & Rusty Lamer at Blake Garden. This time we stripped bark from Acacia baileyana trees that had been taken down by another group project at the Garden.  By stripping the bark, soaking the strips in the creek and then tying the pliable pieces together we formed a 280′ rope that was then coiled around two ironwood trees on the ridge creating a screen that highlights the fantastic view of the Golden Gate.

“B BAMBOO” is the second collaboration-intervention between Peter Suchecki & Rusty Lamer. We began the day by gathering golden & timber bamboo and wetland mud from the Australian Hollow in Blake Garden.  A basket catapult launcher made of  the bamboo and ties made with pliable  bark from newly cut acacia trees was fashioned. The catapult became the drawing  tool  that delivered mud and bamboo marks onto the empty canvas of the aging  parking structure. The performative drawing puzzled and delighted garden visitors. Laughs and chuckles fueled the artists to work the long 7 hour day.

Video by Lauri Twitchell:

“A EQUISETUM” is the first in a series of on-going garden intervention-collaboration between Rusty Lamer & Peter Suchecki at Blake Garden. The projects are a response to the site and are informed by the availability of materials & time. This piece was made of a plentiful and interesting material, Equisetum telmateia, which is a somewhat invasive horsetail fern that sprouted up in the creek area after the invasive species algerian ivy and blackberries were removed. The horsetail was woven onto the 9 ft fence at the entrance to the garden.

In 2009 I designed and built a cover for the drain that leads into the Pagoda Pool at Blake Garden. The top was made out of bamboo (harvested from the garden), recycled redwood and old copper flashing. The drain well is about 20 inches deep.  Underneath the cover I attached a chain and heavy ceramic brick to hold the cover in place and prevent accidents and deter curiosity. Over time, the structure has held up well, and the nails that I used have rusted and stained the bamboo with the desired effect.

This cabinet was made in 2009. Weathered redwood, recycled hardware and an old patina-ted copper etching plate are the materials. I made it for our bathroom, and there it sat for some months. Then it found a home with our friend and acupuncturist Nathalie Babazadeh. The dimensions are: 31″ high, 18″ wide, 14″ deep.