I installed this piece on a Monday morning, next to the Burke Museum. Within 5 minutes of walking away, I had my first visitor…
The crow cawed at the piece for several minutes, before walking away. I observed from 1045-1215, and again from 1715-1730, but no one seemed to really notice my work, or if they did, they did not stop to look more closely. This was disappointing, as I’d worked hard on it, but also kind of neat, as some think Land Art should be installed far out from civilization, away from any chance of commercialization. I also like that the only real interaction I saw was from a possible contributor to the piece itself!
If I’d designed it with an eye level component, or more attention getting paths, it might have been more effective as an “intervention.”
There was a toddler who seemed to notice and point to the piece, but was dragged along by his classmates’ tether before drawing the attention of their teacher.
There were tour buses in front of the space in the morning, which were gone by the evening, so it’s possible that some Burke tourists noticed my work as they were leaving. I hope so.
While I was gathering the feathers, an older man stopped me to ask if it was for art. I said yes, and pointed at where it would be. He asked if there would be any Native American influence, but I said “Oh no no no, since I’m not Native American myself.” I was thinking it would have been insensitive and culturally appropriative to intentionally add any Native American references, but maybe not acknowledging them at all is just as insensitive? I kept the piece just as my own reaction to the site, but I still don’t know if that was right.