I highly recommend the entire article. I melt when I read Laura’s work. This piece has a nice moment for my work near the end a him his in the title. “On Russian short stories, criticism, and how art won't heal us... (but gardens might?)” - Laura August
Artadia 2021 Finalist
In early November I was notified that I was one of 6 artists in the Houston are selected by Artadia’s curators. It is hard to describe the feeling of having my work recognized by such an esteem organization.
See the full article here.
It never hurts to get a Glasstire shout out. In art every moment of support is a BIG moment. Many thanks to Glasstire for acknowledging my efforts and accomplishments.
Art critic - Laura August
A renowned art critic posted about my work on Instagram. Aflood of emotions swept over me. I am so honored, happy, Giddy with joy. So cooool
I have long respected and followed the work of Laura August. She was in Houston this fall and posted about my land art @lawndsleartcenter. It felt amazing to to be seen.
Below is her post.
“piedrinita When I first met Cindee Klement, I suggested her vision might be too expansive and hopeful for this particular world, this particular time, in which I am too often burrowing down into despair. But Cindee has been working for years now to research and make work that promotes widespread urban soil regeneration and carbon reduction through site specific sculpture and installation. I've also learned a lot in those years: that is, never doubt Cindee Klement and her enormous vision and persistence! Today I got a special tour of her project, Symbiosis, at Lawndale. I'm so impressed by her drive and determination, and this project is so beautiful. This urban prairie-started in April!-is buzzing and humming with life, and layers upon layers of native plants are reclaiming the soil. You should go see it. #lawndalesymbiosis
@cindeeklementart
@lawndaleartcenter
Symbiosis- scientific research that support the living sculpture.
“All is not doom and gloom, though, according to Dr Rodger. Many plants are long-lived, opening a window of opportunity to restore pollinators before plant extinctions occur from lack of pollinators.”- First global estimate of importance of pollinators for seed production in plants
Symbiosis
4.5 cubic yards of compost ( living organic material), 200 plus Texas Native plants installed to support the return of Houston’s urban wildlife.
Summer 2021
Image by Nash Baker
Symbiosis - squirrels
I have not seen squirrels in the sculpture. I recently read in Science Daily, Personality matters, even for squirrels. The article is interesting as it is a window into the natural world. I expect these characteristics are valid in most species. I also found the availability of a perch important in creating a sculpture that supports urban wildlife. I have placed stumps in the garden
Squirrel study
Charcoal and ink
Squirrel study
Charcoal and ink
Squirrel movement study
Charcoal and ink
Symbiosis- invasive species
Hairy Crabweed Fatoua villosa is the only invasive species I have discovered in Symbiosis.
It gives me confidence in my landscape philosopies when I read research publications that support my observations of “Symbiosis.”
In July, Houston received an extraordinary amount of rain. That is when I discovered an invasion of Fatoua villos. Aware of the harmful effects of invasive species such as kudzu, I panicked. I went into industrial irradiacation gear. After two days of pulling the hairy-plant-beast from the beds, I noticed many of the native plants were suffering from too much water. I also noticed the native plants in the beds that I had not pulled we're not struggling. I stopped the pulling of the species. That is when I adopted a weed or invasive species management philosophy. Now I carefully observe how each species is impacting the naticve plants, the wildlife and the visual impact of the sculpture. Below is an article from Science Daily that supports my observation.
“The paper's implications suggest that faced with declining fisheries, threatened reef ecosystems, and changing climatic and oceanic conditions, the value of ecosystem services provided by some invasive species, e.g., mangroves, may outweigh their negative effects. Therefore, the decision-making process involved in managing some invasive species warrants more careful consideration of both costs and benefits provided to the ecosystem.
"In a static world, invasive species are bad because they disrupt ecosystems," Granek said. "But we're living in a world where the environment is changing. The climate is changing. The oceans are changing. That changes the calculus of how bad some invasive species are to the habitats they've been introduced into."
Carbon by the Yard - a weekly update
Carbon by the Yard
Zoysia Turfgrass relief
35' X 48'
Embedded within the installation Symbiosis, Carbon by the Yard is a temporary, living sculpture in the shape of the Carbon element symbol, C. The work consists of carving a 16 x 14-foot shape into the existing grass, and allowing the Zoysia grass to grow tall around it. A simple gesture, the letter brings attention to the role lawn-grass plays in climate change. In 2020, the Environmental Protection Agency estimated that grass uses up about a third of all public water: in the US, this translates to 9 billion gallons of water every day. Our mowers consume 200 million gallons of gas. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency estimates that, gas-powered lawn mowers produce 11 times as much pollution as a new car hour for hour. And, manicured lawns provide no livable habitats for pollinators or the other plants and animals necessary to maintain a healthy ecosystem. With Carbon by the Yard, artist-environmentalist Cindee Klement brings attention to the ways in which our daily decisions can help to reduce our carbon footprints.
Reducing nitrate leaching losses from turfgrass fertilization of residential lawns
The sketch for Lawndale approval
September 23, 2021
I sketched the C into the space with flags. Moving and adjusting them until I had the shape C right and in the right place.
Next I marked the C with a water base paint used to mark fields.
The C marked in water based paint.
October24th- The first cutting.
The yard maintenance company used their regular mower. The CO2, cost, time, and noise pollution of the gass lawn mower was not worth the result.
I was afraid that the following week the lawn maintenance company would not be able to see the relief enough to remow it. I remarked the C with the flags.
The second cutting was rained out.
I will update this blog post through out the process.
October 8th - week three cutting #2
October 18th - Week 4 cutting #3
October 22 - week 5 cutting #4
After 4 cuttings the C is now beginning srand out.
November 1- week 6 cutting #5
November 7- week #7cutting #6
November 12th, week #8 cutting #7
November 19th, week #9 cutting #8
November 26th, week #10 cutting #9
December 3rd, week #11 cutting #10
December 24th, week #14 cutting #13
January 9, week #16 cutting #15
March 30 - this would have been week 29……. Unfortunately, it is not.
I noticed the grass was growing exceptionally slow. Long story short Lawndale’s lawn maintenance company was mowing on a high setting.
I am starting over on counting weeks of emissions saved.
April 10th, week 1, not cutting the yard #1
Spring 2022
August 2022
Symbiosis - where are the birds?
For several weeks I have noticed the neighborhood birds are not stopping into Symbiosis. I have asked the neighbors and they have noticed the birds were absent too. Today an article came out in the Houston chronicle, Songbirds Take a Break.
March 19th - first bird in garden. An Amerucan red robin foraging for insects, bugs, protein or seeds, poking it's beak into the newly installed living compost.
March 31, 2021 robin hunting for grubs as I install the American beautyberry.
April 9, 2021 robin on the oak stump. I installed rotting native tree stumps to give the birds a camouflaged lookout and hideout.
April 9, 2021 dove
May 22, 2021,
blue jay
May 1, 2021 American red robin
June 19, 2021
June 22, 2021
You never know where the next email will take you.
I opened this today. I am honored and look forward to how this will unfold.
Endangered Knowledge: The Soul of Humus
9/9/21
Thursday after a long day of work my hands ached. That evening my right thumb palm was sore and barely pink. I noticed a tiny puncture wound. It hurt all night, keeping me from sleeping. The following day I called a hand surgeon Dr. Mark Henry. I had an infection and the puncture wound had already closed. It needed to be surgically cleaned out. The wound was left open and cleaned again Monday and Thursday.
I will not be able to work on the piece for 3 weeks. My adult son Griffin offered to fly in to town and be my hands to finish.
Below is my garage studio as I left it.
Endangered Knowledge: The Soul of Humus
I was right on schedule. A week ago, I started applying the finished surface material, the fun part. Long story short, I received a tiny puncture wound at the base of my thumb at some point. That night I noticed a tender spot on my thumb. The next day it was very pink and ached down to my Wrist. The Puncture had sealed in an infection. I will have my third surgical cleaning today. I am told I will not be able to use my hand for a total of 3 weeks.
In order to get the piece finished in time for the opening, my son offered to fly in next weekend and be my hands.
TIny puncture, slight swelling, aching and tenderness.
Endangered Knowledge: The Soul of Humus
The armature with lath wired to it. Both back legs have material tests on them.
The surface material and how it will age/dry is a mystery. The arnature is the same atmature that I have used on all of my life size sculptures. The late Donald Tucker a local faux bois artist taught me this method. On the faux bous furniture, the finish is a concrete composite. On the other life size sculptures I have used concrete and hydro stone.
BROKEN
steel, reinforced concrete, and wire
40" X 29" X 55"
2018
photo by Nash Baker
Sonata in 4D - welded steel, lath, wire and plaster
2018
Photo by Nash Baker
HARVEY HEROES - LIVEstock BRINGING HOME THE BACON
66” X 42” X 60” - welded steel, lath, wire, wire cloth and hydro stone.
2019
Anniversary bench- Welded steel, concrete
2011
Symbiosis - extraction from a different view
Passiflora incarnata is a boisterous Texas native vine. I placed it at the entrance for a few reasons, to grow across the gate to soften the concrete patio. The patio concrete will help contain Passiflora from self-propagating itself. It is a host for the passion butterfly larvae that will greet the art patrons. Without any chemicals in the garden the caterpillars exceled at digesting the passiflora incarnate leaves. Chewed to the stems adds an element of excitement to the composition. There is an additional beauty of knowing the life it has hosted.
Passiflora incarnata with extraction from a seasons worth of Gulf fritillary caterpillars
Detail
Not a leaf left. I will miss walking up to the gate and startling the resting Gulf Fritillary butterflies, causing them to flutter in and out of the welded wire fence circling me as I enter.
Symbiosis- art activism
Can art activate change? It has in the past and global communication is easier than ever. I received the below email from Chris Mc Fraughton of Take Two environmental. :)
Chris was trained at Elain Ingram’s the Soil Food Web. He knows what he is doing.
Symbiosis - Nash Prairie - seed collecting
Mark Morganstern of Morning Star Prairie Plants invited me to join him to collect seeds for Symbiosis at the Nature Concervancy’s Nash Prairie Preserve. “The 400-acre tract is one of the last remaining segments of the Great Coastal Prairie, which once encompassed six million acres between Lafayette, Louisiana and Corpus Christi, Texas. Nash is a pristine piece of prairieland, largely unaltered by man or machine. More than 300 plant species have been documented there, including several rare species and at least one type of grass thought to be extinct in Texas since the 1800s.“
I will plant the seeds in Symbiosis this fall. Next summer I will collect seeds and share them with other properties.
Green tree frog on a Rattlesnake master. The rattlesnake master reportedly supports 250 species of wildlife.
Rattlesnake master seeds
The prairie
Coneflower seeds
Rosinweed Sunflower seeds
Rosinweed sunflower
These are the seeds on the plant
Endangered Knowledge: The Soul of Humus
Two weeks
Cutting sections of lath to fit smoothly over the rebar. Using safety wire pliers to attach the lath to the rebar with airplanes safety wire.
It took 7- 3’ X 8’ pieces of lath. Or 168sq.ft.
Nose
Symbiosis - seed collecting - Nash prairie
I was invited to collect seeds for “Symbiosis” at the Nature Concervancy’s Nash Prairie Preserve “400-acre tract is one of the last remaining segments of the Great Coastal Prairie, which once encompassed six million acres between Lafayette, Louisiana and Corpus Christi, Texas. Nash is a pristine piece of prairieland, largely unaltered by man or machine. More than 300 plant species have been documented there, including several rare species and at least one type of grass thought to be extinct in Texas since the 1800s.”
Endangered Knowledge: The Soul of Humus
Today‘s progress may not look like much, however I worked 7 hours. I was focused on filling the tiny spaces in the groin, inside its flanks and rear end. And I was careful not to catch my skin on the sharp edges of the late. It is razor-sharp and requires careful deliberate moves.
Endangered Knowledge: The Soul of Humus
I attach the lath with airplane safety wire. Think of lath as the skin. Once the armature is covered in lath/skin, I will add the fur/soil/dried native plants.
Houston City - August 24, 2021, Cindee Klement Day
August 24th at 1:30, Houston Mayor Turner recognized my environmental artwork and proclaiming August 24th Cindee klement day.
After fumbling with my audio, I was asked to speak.
I spoke about my work Lawndale Art Center, “symbiosis,” and how changing the way we see Houstons landscape is a step in reversing Global warming. I spoke about using methods that are currently used worldwide to regenerate desert landscapes in rural areas holistically. I apply these methods to Houstons 600 sq. mi. of urban - mainly private property. I believe Earth conservation is a DIY project that every human must participate. These are the same principles the Savory Institute and Roam Ranch use.
Sallie Alcorn, city councilperson at large, nominated me for the honor. Sallie is working to help modify the city landscape ordinance. Presently the landscape ordinance prohibits landscape methods that sequester carbon and soak up rainwater.
That evening Sallie dropped the proclamation by my home.
Endangered Knowledge: The Soul of Humus
Today's work
Yes, I use a sewing tape measure
I worked on his middle
