Dimitris Aleviz
Project 4 / Part I: Proposal
November 23, 2015
While researching for this project I came across a video on Vimeo, which through a 24hour
time lapse records how a plant – the rose of Jericho - turns from a dry tumbleweed to a green
healthy plant. There is a direct association with time; it looks like past experience and the
conditions surrounding it shape its regeneration. Similarly, in humans’ self-preservation in
the face of the worst adversity and our reactions to the experiences triggered by the
environment shape our being.
For my project I will collect three bundles of branches and I will arrange them in some
distance from each other on a big white wall for contrast. Each “tree” will represent a
different feeling, sadness, fear and happiness. I will also collect many leaves that I will place
under the installation. Each visitor will be urged to write a memory – anonymously or not for one emotion only. Every time someone wants to write a memory they will take a leaf
from the bag, markers placed next to the bag of leaves and then staple it in the corresponding
tree. The labels of the trees and the instructions of this project will be printed through laser
cut in a hard wood layer in order to match with the whole concept of the project.
It will be very interesting to see which tree will collect, will “grow” the most leaves,
especially in view of the incidents that happened lately in Paris. Will people be dominated by
fear or sadness over happiness?
We grow up and we become who we are through our personal experiences. Each one of us is
different and this happens because we come from different backgrounds and are shaped by
various events. The shape that the tree will take just like the shape of our personality depends
on those experiences and our memory of them, which is exactly the main meaning of my
project.
Annotated Bibliography:

Writer, Dwight L. Durling. “Nature’s Place in English Poetry.” New York Times (1936): 23.1

Writer, Unknown. “Alexander Mackie’s Nature and Poetry.” New York Times (1906): 36.2

Writer, Marian Storm. “Nature in Poetry and Prose.” New York Times (1921): 15.3

Writer, Unknown. “The Poetry of Nature / Edmund Blunden.” New York Times (1929): 39.4

Writer, Unknown. “The Nature Poetry of David Morton.” New York Times (1937): 5.5
This article is more about the history of poetry, which I think it’s important for my project
since it gives a broader sense of the whole topic and fills you with the most necessary
information related to poetry and what has followed. In that reading I learned that many
things belong into the category of nature such as the human body etc.
1
2
The correlation between nature and nostalgia is being described, which seems very
interesting to me. Especially in relation to my project, which is kind of nostalgic itself. Since
you walk around of all these “dead” leaves that the only things written on them are memories
from the past that either people want to forget or they don’t want to let go.
3
Marian Storm is being consider a very sensitive poet, which is actually the reason that I
chose that source. As I mentioned above my project will have three different trees that will
represent emotions, sadness, fear and happiness. So the part of the feelings is very important
for my project as it was for Marian’s poetry.
4
Covers the whole field of poetry and makes it very easy for the readers to understand. Some
people say that Edmund is the prince of nature poets and so it would be a great source for my
project. Another reason that I believe it’s necessary for my project is because it’s more
theoretical than all of my other sources, which I believe is good in order to have a biggest
range.
5
Taught me the three main topics of poetry, which are death, love and nature. In his poems
(that are about nature) he combines criticism and that might happen because he was
carelessly gay to the public and probably received criticism too. In his poetry he inserts
personal experiences but under the influence of nature. The reason that it matches with my
project is because it belongs under the same umbrella, which is nature and poetry and
especially to the fact that he talks about a correlation between nature and feelings just like my
art installation.