NILS-UDO
Nils-Udo
is a Bavarian artist who came to Topanga--in the Santa Monica Mountains
above Los Angeles--to create an art and nature installation.
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(The photos here will take a few
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He flew over
from Europe for only a week, but spent three days hiking the hillsides,
exploring ancient oak forests, following winter streams, discovering water
falls and hidden pools.
He chose beautiful
Red Rock Canyon as the site for his work, near ceremonial caves
used a thousand years ago by Gabrialeno and Chumash people.
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Wild
bamboo was cut from a stream bed, carefully polished, then brought
to the cave site.
He loosened
and raked the soil, creating an indentation that revealed the distinctive
mineral colors of the earth, then began weaving the installation into the
cave.
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On
the last day, when the wild bamboo nest was complete, the artist looked
at the lunchtime orange in his hand and began to smile: "I need
more!" he laughed, "Sixty!" |
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Tours
were about to arrive to see his installation, and it was only two
hours before he was to appear at the gala opening for the ART
AND NATURE show at the new Rico Gallery
in Santa Monica. There was little time. |
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rushed over to Topanga's Saturday Farmer's Market, where Nils plundered
the citrus boxes--laying oranges, limes and lemons carefully on the ground
to consider the colors. As it happened, two of Topanga's favorite artists,
Barbara King and Stu Moskowitz, arrived to buy fresh vegetables just then.
They joked as Nils gathered bags of bright fruit with all the joy Van Gogh
or Matisse might have felt with a box full of new oil paints. |
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Back
at the quiet canyon, Nils placed the fruit and took his pictures,then
we dashed back down the canyon for him to change and arrive in trendy
Santa Monica just in time for the opening... which
was a smashing success.
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installation was a gift to children and hikers who discover it by
surprise.
Topangans
made a visit to this lovely site a part of their daily routine.
Barbara Rice says she makes "a daily pilgrimage" and
is inviting friends from as far away as Long Beach to come see
it with her.
DENDRITE
FOREST HOME
..CONTACT
US
Copyright 1998 Dendrite Forest, Inc.
all rights reserved
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The
site was removed after two weeks.
From
the Makers of
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on this page were taken by Patric Hedlund of Dendrite Forest during
construction of the project. Nils-Udo's gallery photos are available
through the Rico Gallery. Manfred Menz made the installation possible
and provided hospitality.
The Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy graciously
gave permission for the installation in Red Rock Canyon. Special
thanks to Lisa Soghor.
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The
ART AND NATURE Show was curated by Tricia Watts, of EcoArtSpace. Gabriel
and Tricia Watts and Patric Hedlund assisted in scouting locations.
Dan Isaacson, David MacDonald, Jim Sullivan and Gary Meyer assisted
in construction. |
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