Tree Stars

Tree Stars is a site-responsive installation developed at the I-Park artist residency in East Haddam, Connecticut. Suspended among trees, the work examines what happens when an ideal geometric form depends on the irregular positions of branches for its support.

Triangular nylon panels form stellated, star-like volumes. Ropes extend from their points to nearby trees, placing the fabric under varying degrees of tension. Because the branches do not follow the order of the geometric model, some connections pull the panels taut while others allow them to slacken or shift. The resulting forms record the specific conditions of their setting.

Hung at a height that visitors can walk around, the stars make these differences in tension visible at the scale of the body. Interior lighting gives the installation a second presence after dark, illuminating the fabric and defining a temporary space among the trees. Tree Stars treats geometry as a starting point that is changed through material behavior and its encounter with the landscape.

Project information

• Location: I-Park Foundation, East Haddam, Connecticut

• Project began: June 25, 2018

• Project type: Site-responsive installation

• Materials: Nylon, rope, and lights

• Dimensions: 12 × 12 × 8 ft