Willow weep for me
The Los Angeles River was named one of America's Most Endangered Rivers in 2022. Aggressively channelized in the 1930s as a flood control measure, management of the river continues to foreground human needs over our seasonal river's important role in the local ecosystem; a bittersweet compromise. As a result, native riparian animals and plants have struggled to survive the ongoing pressure from human intervention, climate change, and invasive species. Arundo donax, or giant reed, is an invasive plant that has displaced native willows and disturbed the habitat in many areas of the Southern California watershed, creating a cascade effect that negatively impacts many species. It can grow over 20 feet tall, and sprouts from rhizomes that survive under the soil despite seasonal flooding events. The reed creates a dense monoculture that birds and insects avoid. Using data from a 2011 Distribution and Impact Report on arundo donax prepared by the California Invasive Plant Council, I have chosen nine representative species to illustrate this troubling effect on the ecosystem of the river.
The installation consists of a 5x8' mural photograph of arundo donax, taken along the Elysian Valley stretch of the Los Angeles River. Each embroidered portrait is executed using bamboo thread on cotton organdy, and is mounted on an archival pigment print representing a habitat free of the invasive reed.
To learn more about each species, click the thumbnails below.
The installation consists of a 5x8' mural photograph of arundo donax, taken along the Elysian Valley stretch of the Los Angeles River. Each embroidered portrait is executed using bamboo thread on cotton organdy, and is mounted on an archival pigment print representing a habitat free of the invasive reed.
To learn more about each species, click the thumbnails below.
