INQUIRING MINDS
Earth, Wind and Fire in the Redwoods
By Julia Halprin Jackson
INQUIRING MINDS
Earth, Wind and Fire in the Redwoods
By Julia Halprin Jackson
Four years after a catastrophic fire, five San Jos茅 State artists contributed work to the first-ever Art About program in Big Basin State Park in the Santa Cruz Redwoods, offering new approaches on forest restoration and renewal.
On August 16, 2020, the CZU Lightning Complex Fire ignited the Santa Cruz Mountains 30 miles south of San Jos茅 State University, burning more than in and around Big Basin State Park. The devastation was immediate, impacting the largest ancient redwood grove south of San Francisco. Residents were saddened to see the fire destroy the park鈥檚 historic headquarters, campgrounds, and even a new nature museum that was slated to open in 2021.
Big Basin reopened to park visitors in July 2022, and two years later, new shades of green emerged amongst the undergrowth. A few other installations dot the trails now, too, thanks to , a new interpretative experience sponsored by the California State Parks system. The program shared an open call for regional artists to submit original work, and in spring 2023, artists were invited to participate in a guided overnight experience facilitated by California State Parks Backpacking Adventures (CASPBA) in Big Basin, the first camping trip in the park since the 2020 fire.
Robin Lasser, professor of art at San Jos茅 State, participated both as an artist and a juror. Lasser was one of five Spartan artists among the 18 who joined California State Park interpreters, park planners, cultural resource staff, Parks California Board Members, members of the Indigenous community and Park Director Armando Quintero on a guided hike of Big Basin鈥檚 newly reopened trails. Around the campfire, artists learned about the past, present and future of the park through firsthand experiences of staff and volunteers. Over the course of six months, participating artists created unique art pieces that belong in the California State Park鈥檚 permanent collection.
鈥淚鈥檝e worked as a lecturer and professor at San Jos茅 State for almost 30 years,鈥� she says. 鈥淚 feel like one of my most valuable contributions as a professor is to provide these experiences for undergraduate and grad students that bring their creativity alive, not only in gallery and museum systems, but out in the public. I鈥檓 pretty proud of that.鈥�
鈥淭he Big Basin Art About experience was a fantastic opportunity to reawaken my connections to Big Basin and the coastal redwoods."
鈥� Cynthia Siegel
91传媒厂 Art Professor Robin Lasser in conversation with Scott Shepherd of California State Parks at Big Basin in spring 2024.
Art as intervention
Art About offered a one-of-a-kind experience for participating artists. Adrienne Defendi, 鈥�23 MFA Photography, created 鈥淐anopy Constellations: Tracing the Sky-to-Brush-Pile Trail,鈥� a portfolio of 24 images focused on Big Basin鈥檚 recovery 鈥� 17x17鈥� cyanotype prints toned in redwood bark tannin depicting brush piles, the forest canopy, prescribed burns and ash remains that captured the cycles of destruction and renewal.
鈥淚t was absolutely exciting to gather with other artists of many disciplines and State Park staff in the first camp-out since the CZU Lightning Fire,鈥� she says. 鈥淭he discussion, the shared knowledge and experiences of those who were in the park at the time of fires and the opportunity to share ideas of how to re-imagine the park and its future sustainability were all inspiring. It was a privilege and honor to participate and to receive the support to create work inspired by this experience. I returned to Big Basin often specifically for the project, and I continue to document its ever-changing environment.鈥�
"Mother Tree," by Adrienne Defendi.
"We Come from a Long Lineage of Survivors," by Linda Gass.
Other Art About pieces include a metal and glass sculpture entitled 鈥淲e Come from a Long Lineage of Survivors鈥� by 91传媒厂 alumna and volunteer Linda Gass; a redwood loop screen print map by Samantha Saldana, '25 MFA Photography; and 鈥淔amily Circle,鈥� a clay sculpture depicting three children in the forest by Cynthia Siegel, 鈥�06 MFA Spatial Art/Ceramic Sculpture.
鈥淭he trauma of the CZU fires was experienced collectively by our entire community,鈥� says Siegel. 鈥淔or me, the Big Basin Art About experience was a fantastic opportunity to reawaken my connections to Big Basin and the coastal redwoods. I accumulated my inspiration over many consecutive visits to Big Basin, in which I鈥檇 delight in the beauty of the many textures I found throughout the forest.鈥�
Lasser鈥檚 鈥淭ents Talk鈥� installation includes miniagture tent encampments that house recordings of three unique narratives. Inspired by Traci Bliss, author of 鈥淏ig Basin Redwood Forest: California鈥檚 Oldest State Park,鈥� Susan Blake, Big Basin interpreter of 16 years, and Estrella Bibbey, naturalist and park volunteer, Lasser invited the three women to voice the recorded narratives that emanate from inside the tents. Their stoiries were also displayed on interpretive signage presented as large-scale artistic postcards installed along the Redwood Loop Trail. In addition, Lasser created four short experimental films using Bliss, Bibbey and Blake鈥檚 narration.
鈥淭he art installations throughout the park are surprise discoveries for visitors that can enhance their understanding of the impact of the fire and the way the forest and park infrastructure are re-emerging using the language of visual art.鈥�
鈥� Linda Gass
Gass, who enrolled in art classes at 91传媒厂 as an Open University student, says that her time at San Jos茅 State enabled her to experiment with various media and forms.
鈥淏eing able to install my artwork in the park is a dream come true for me,鈥� Gass says. 鈥淲hile it鈥檚 always an honor to show my artwork in a museum or gallery, it means even more to me to have my work in public places where people may not be expecting to experience art.
鈥淭he art installations throughout the park are surprise discoveries for visitors that can enhance their understanding of the impact of the fire and the way the forest and park infrastructure are re-emerging using the language of visual art. It makes my day when people encounter my work by surprise and share it on social media.鈥�
The project, officially unveiled in June 2024, is especially meaningful to Lasser because of her lifelong commitment to creating art for and by the public. She describes art installation in a public space as an 鈥渋ntervention鈥� of sorts, inviting people of all walks of life 鈥� as well as animals, plants and other forest inhabitants, in this case 鈥� to engage with the work.
鈥淎rt interventions [in public] are important because they are unexpected,鈥� Lasser says. 鈥淚鈥檝e always loved this tension between life and the life we as artists create.鈥�
Outdoor or public art also forces the artist to view the world through a different aperture.
鈥淚 think the reason I was drawn to photography so many years ago is because it got me out in the landscape,鈥� she says. 鈥淗ow could you be in the landscape even 30 years ago without paying attention to environmental issues?鈥�
Lasser and her fellow artists didn鈥檛 鈥渇all into鈥� art; instead, they lifted their brushes, sculpted their clay or metal and took their photographs to capture the environment as they experienced it: ashes, fire, saplings and all.
鈥淚 feel like one of my most valuable contributions as a professor is to provide these experiences for undergraduate and grad students that bring their creativity alive, not only in gallery and museum systems, but out in the public."
鈥� Robin Lasser
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Top photo: "Tents Talk" exhibit by Robin Lasser at Big Basin State Park, Image courtesy of Robin Lasser.
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Top photo: "Tents Talk" exhibit by Robin Lasser at Big Basin State Park. Photo courtesy of Robin Lasser.
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