Another week, more growth and Chapter One of my film is now up on the website.
www.michellelevante.com, under the link Movie.

GARDEN FATE 06-16-07
After one week of growth. This weekend I added the gourds along with mushrooms and moss. And I finally got the timelapse set up, so hopefully by next weekend there should be a week of growth to see. At 15 minute intervals, I am hoping to capture the growth of the fungal mycelium, which then may turn into the mushroom fruit. I was able to start the process at home, and the mycelium was quite beautiful, long wispy white hairs growing over a log. Hopefully this environment will be damp enough for mushrooms and the moss. At least the gourds will rot. I am hoping to add the peppers next week, or perhaps more sprouts.
Here is the description from the curator, Eileen,

DEMOLITION

An exhibit of art that explores destruction and impermanence
curated by Eileen Ferara
June 19-July 12
Artist’s Reception July 12 6-8pm
Art Across the Plaza-a temporary Pro Arts window exhibit
corner of Grove and Montgomery St, downtown Jersey City

Thomas Carlson € Ed Fausty € Kathe Frantz € Mary Jeys € Robert Kosinski
Michelle Levante € William Rodwell € Bill Rybak

Our city and the surrounding area provide many opportunities to witness demolition. The artists approached the theme with a variety of possibilities; from the excitement of watching things destroyed to a more introspective documentation of plant growth taking place in the building, (a last gasp before the end).

This show also touches on the impermanence involved in the creation of art itself. This will be the last exhibit in the Art Across the Plaza windows. The building is scheduled to be demolished in approximately a month. Artists participating were aware of the risks of hanging work in a raw space with the possibility of damage to the work. Some of the artists have chosen to have the work they are exhibiting demolished along with the building.

For more information call 201 798 3038.

There is something so wonderful and pure when an animal attacks a human being. It just seems right.

BERLIN (Reuters) - An aggressive squirrel attacked and injured three people in a German town before a 72-year-old pensioner dispatched the rampaging animal with his crutch.

The squirrel first ran into a house in the southern town of Passau, leapt from behind on a 70-year-old woman, and sank its teeth into her hand, a local police spokesman said Thursday.

With the squirrel still hanging from her hand, the woman ran onto the street in panic, where she managed to shake it off.

The animal then entered a building site and jumped on a construction worker, injuring him on the hand and arm, before he managed to fight it off with a measuring pole.

"After that, the squirrel went into the 72-year-old man's garden and massively attacked him on the arms, hand and thigh," the spokesman said. "Then he killed it with his crutch."

The spokesman said experts thought the attack may have been linked to the mating season or because the squirrel was ill.

I have a new installation coming up in the next few days in Jersey City,on Montgomery Street near Grove, right across the street from City Hall. It's part of the Art Across The Plaza year long event, located in the window of an abandoned building set to be torn down sometime in July. Here is the window description.

Garden Fate
dirt, stones, logs, rusted objects, refuse from Jersey City waterfront, mulch, gourds, vegetables, mushrooms, moss, branches,
grass, broadleaf plantain, field bindweed, hedge bindweed, morning glory, purple basil, garlic mustard, Virginia creeper, common pigweed, ragweed, tree of heaven, etc……

The intention of this piece is forcing nature to have one last gasp before the building is demolished and recording the growth and destruction using time-lapse photography. I plan on having the movie available to view on my website by the end of the month and updated periodically until the building comes down.