Nature and Nurture, an Ode to 1031 S. Harvey
The morning sun brightens the living room.
The neighborhood is warm and the world is warming.
The children and the garden are growing.
The sun is approximately 4.6 billion year old. The world was formed about 100,000,000 years later, or approximately 4.5 billion years ago. Laurentia, or the North American craton that became the continent of North America, was formed soon after that. Homo Sapiens first appeared 200,000 to 300,000 years ago. The first dwellings made from bricks were built around the year 7000BC. The United States of America was founded almost two-and-half centuries ago. Illinois became the 21st state in 1821 and the village of Oak Park was incorporated in 1902. The brick bungalow at 1031 S. Harvey was built in 1922.
According to NASA our average global temperature has risen 1.9 degrees Fahrenheit since 1880, the year that such statistics were first recorded. During that same time period the minimum amount of arctic ice has dropped by 12.8 percent per decade and sea level has risen 3.3 millimeters per year. Climate scientists at NASA and elsewhere project the pattern of rising temperatures, diminishing arctic ice, and the rise of sea level to continue through the 21st century at least.
A young couple was married in 2012 and bought the property at 1031 S. Harvey, in Oak Park, IL in [year]. They have two children.
In summer 2019 they planted a Japanese maple tree, or acer japonicum, in the center of the garden in front of their house. In 15 years when this particular breed is fully grown it will be approximately 14 feet tall and up to 14 feet wide. By that time the small tree below the window will cast a shadow on the front of the house and limit the amount of sunlight entering through the windows. The children will be in high school, the tree will be an even more prominent feature of the garden and the average global temperature will be even higher than it is now.
The sun will burn out in a few billion years. The earth will freeze and die with it. Humans might live another few million years if we’re careful and lucky. Democracies of all types will be challenged to live up to their promises of equality, liberty and freedom as internal conflicts perpetuate and natural resources become ever-more scarce. Houses will be built and then will crumble. The people we know now will all be gone in a century or so and memories of them will fade soon after that. The idea of art will continue to evolve and then eventually disappear.
Nature and Nurture, an Ode to 1031 S. Harvey was installed as part of the 2019 Terrain Biennial.
