There are things in nature that never cease to make me wonder.
Living through tragedies of war, natural disasters and developing society, trees continue to regulate our climate, improve our water quality and clean our air. The oldest and largest organisms on our planet survive a history longer than we can remember.

It was quite a shock the day I came across a giant, fake tree looming above the interstate landscape. This pseudo-biotech hybrid was erected to camouflage the cellular communication transmitters beneath its fronds. It struck me as the beginning of a new history yet to be written. In this vision, parasitic cell tower trees populate the landscape in many forms that become historic landmarks, roadside curiosities and survivors of natural disasters.

Through these explorations I wondered what else the tree could become. I began reading about wind power and its aesthetic opponents led me to begin my Tree Turbine project. It is clear that wind-generated electricity is a clean, sustainable alternative to climate-warming fossil fuels. I concluded that if these opposing groups disguised their cell towers as trees, then why not disguise the wind turbine?

Trees continue to permeate my work not only through their religious, political and personal histories, but also as means to question technology and the future of the natural world.

Link to Joseph's current CV.

Joseph Smolinski is represented by Mixed Greens, NY.
He is also represented by Swarm Gallery, Oakland, CA and
La Galerie Particuliere, Paris, FR.

For information regarding Joseph's Teaching and Academic work, please visit University of New Haven, www.newhaven.edu.