Trippy Experimental Architecture Gives New Meaning to “Brownstone”
A Brown correspondent writes in with news from the spaciest Ivy:
Give a man a fish and he eats for a day; give a stoner a "sticktastic," Hobbit-like, organically ambient tree sculpture and he trips out for weeks. Following the completion of artist Patrick Dougherty's sapling sculpture on Brown University's Front Campus, people young and old have stopped to take in the impressive creation that seems to grow out of the ground itself. For some subclasses of the Brown cultural lexicon, this pull is particularly enveloping.
"They're like bubbles of wood ... It is a special place. It seems to have its own gravity and logic. Smoking there is like communing with plants in nature's womb," said a Brown first-year who wished to be known as "Scuba Steve." His friend quickly added, "It's a portal to an alien world."
Not to misrepresent the Brown community or its fragrant denizens. This was hardly a "sculpture goes up, stoners move in" sort of situation. Most, if not a high majority of the people enjoying the sculpture, are not doing it under the influence of marijuana, opium, or any of the other assorted psychedelics that even seeing this artwork subconsciously demands.
Nevertheless, the sculpture has been a popular destination for students. The very look and feel of the sculpture fits the eco-friendly aesthetic of any college's pot-smoking population. Thousands of locally harvested saplings (i.e "sticks") beget a roughly textured woodland creation. Its not that everyone's on drugs -- its just better when you're high. Wait ... did I say that? Or only think it?
UPDATE 2:51 p.m.: Cornell stoners nod knowingly.
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November 30th, 2006 at 3:49 pm
I bet they will rot.
November 30th, 2006 at 4:35 pm
It’s a temporary installation, and it’s been up rot-free for over a month. That being said, I’m surprised it hasn’t been torched yet, as it’s not often that someone collects so much firewood in one place. (For the record I take no responsibility if this sculpture goes up in flames.)
November 30th, 2006 at 8:51 pm
yeah, your brown correspondent needs to get with the times. reporting on something that was dedidacted and built over a month ago? not good reporting. next thing you know she’ll be reporting about our new curriculum or some party called “sexpowergod.”
November 30th, 2006 at 10:13 pm
Is this the same artist who made the stuff that was on the Smith campus a few years ago? And was the current Brown prez the prez of Smith at the time? And is there a connection?
December 1st, 2006 at 2:41 am
I’m kinda interested in this. Is there anyone out there that has actually “cough” followed up on this or “communed with nature?
Also Adrian, the story is about drug use in the sculpture not the sculpture. not good reading. next thing you’ll be doing is telling us that the this blog is about the Ivy League or that there is something out there called “the internet.”
December 2nd, 2006 at 3:11 pm
actually cornell has the same thing…since October
December 2nd, 2006 at 4:06 pm
yes, though the one for Cornell is off campus
December 4th, 2006 at 1:01 pm
‘off campus’ is a relative misnomer … it’s across the gorge and just inside Collegetown, yes, but it’s between Sheldon Court (a student residence) and CU’s performing arts center.
I tell people that our sculpture needs some giant insects. The artist apparently doesn’t mind what people do to it, I guess the kids are lazy.
December 4th, 2006 at 1:03 pm
Actually the materials are fire-retardent so they can’t be torched. As flammable as they look … which must also appeal to stoners.