A "Tree"mendous Presentation by Lesia MokryckeOn Sept 4, Lesia Mokrycke spoke about her “Urban Forest Lab” and “Monument Tree” projects. She provided an overview of her art and landscape architecture practice, discussing the origins of her inspiration, in art, architecture, and the environment.
She talked about how her practice of walking has informed her research, such as for the piece recently exhibited at the Lister Block building in Hamilton titled "Passage". This piece talked about memory, time, and history, detailing how interned Ukrainian-Canadian citizens had cleared roads during internment to build what became Canada’s National Park system.
Lesia talked about her interest in buried water in Hamilton and her research on Chedoke Creek, where she explained how a large linear park could be adapted in downtown Hamilton.
Her influences include performance artwork. Lesia showed how these experiments with space and movement inform her environmental artworks, such as Wind Machine, installed at the University of Pennsylvania in 2020.
Lesia talked about her exhibition Trees Talking, showing members how the living trees she brought into the exhibition space contrast with the tree photographs that are illuminated in lightboxes: a juxtaposition between media and living things.
Lastly, she talked about how her research into Hamilton’s oldest trees is informing her urban design. In this work, she creates uses the oldest trees in the city to create a network of linked urban parks (green spaces).
She almost did not have enough time for her excellent presentation because her proud father, member John Mokrycke, waxed eloquently about the educational and now work achievements of his oldest child, Lesia! One of our "Rotary rules" is the introduction cannot exceed the guest speaker's presentation in length! An appropriate fine will deal with this minor infraction!
- Mark Ewer