Deanna Pindell
ecologically-focused public art and sculpture
Thneeds ReSeed
in collaboration with Bryum Argentum moss. Exhibited in New Orleans, LA. USA. 2010.
Recycled wool sweaters; wool yarn; Bryum Argentum Moss
The Thneeds are rather widely traveled, and continue to proliferate, which Dr Seuss himself might have appreciated:
New Orleans, LA. USA 2010
New York City, USA 2011
Plainfield, VT. USA 2011
New York City, USA 2012
Seattle, WA. USA 2012
Sydney, Australia 2013
The Thneeds Re-Seed is a sculptural remediation strategy in collaboration with Bryum Argenteum (Silvery Bryum) moss. As the “first responder” in healing deforested areas, mosses establish basic support systems for the diverse successional species necessary in the restoration of devastated woodlands.
The original Thneeds were a passive, commodified character in Dr Seuss’s controversial children’s book, the Lorax. Now they are re-imagined in a layered, ironic cycle. Recycled wool sweaters are felted into colorful hollow balls, four inches to nine inches in diameter; a perfect substrate for moss, a safe little nesting habitat for critters, munchable protein for insects. These sculptures will decompose completely with time. Of course, the wool probably came from farmed sheep, which were grazed on land which was purposefully deforested for pasture and timber. Ethical questions arise: humans require these creatures to help us restore the environments we have ruined for them. Can we consider them willing collaborators?