{"id":8612,"date":"2022-11-02T09:39:54","date_gmt":"2022-11-02T14:39:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.wisconsin.edu\/all-in-wisconsin-new\/?post_type=campus_story&p=8612"},"modified":"2022-11-02T09:39:54","modified_gmt":"2022-11-02T14:39:54","slug":"collaborative-art-project-at-uw-eau-claire-celebrates-native-white-pine-trees","status":"publish","type":"campus_story","link":"https:\/\/www.wisconsin.edu\/all-in-wisconsin\/story\/collaborative-art-project-at-uw-eau-claire-celebrates-native-white-pine-trees\/","title":{"rendered":"Collaborative art project at UW-Eau Claire celebrates native white pine trees"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Photo<\/a>
Jacob Hallett (left) and Megan Miller, pictured in the Haas woodshop repurposing wood from a previous campus installation, worked on “Expressions of Nature” throughout the summer of 2022. (Submitted photo)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

A new collaborative art installation created by students and faculty at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire officially opens Wednesday, Oct. 12, in Haas Fine Arts Center, with a reception starting at 6:15 p.m. in the Haas lobby.<\/p>\n

The piece, titled \u201cExpressions of Nature,\u201d was created during the summer of 2022 and was made possible by support from the Freshwater Collaborative Grant from the state of Wisconsin and project funding by the UW-Eau Claire Office of Research and Sponsored Programs.<\/p>\n

The project combines the efforts in the departments of art & design and music and theatre arts and explores the idea of listening to the voices of nature in a new way \u2014 through sound impulses made by plants. The installation incorporates a range of plant species from different environments, with the native white pine tree as the featured element.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhite pines are a vital part of the history of Eau Claire,\u201d says Megan Miller, one of the students on the design team. \u201cThis region was originally a dense forest of white pines, wiped out by the booming lumber industry which propelled the development of the city. According to the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, white pines are finally making a comeback and should remain a major species in future forests.\u201d<\/p>\n

The listening device in the \u201cExpressions of Nature\u201d installation called PlantWave detects slight electrical variations in a plant via two electrodes placed on the branches of the white pine tree. These variations are graphed as a wave, which is translated into pitch messages. The result is a continuous stream of sound emitted by the tree. Patterns of these sounds are visible as the vibrations they create are transmitted through speaker cones filled with water.<\/p>\n

Miller says that repurposed wood making up the base of the structure came from a sculpture by artist Peter Krsko that stood outside of Haas Fine Arts from 2020-22.<\/p>\n

\u201cKrsko is known for reusing materials and often transforms his old sculptures into something new,\u201d she says. \u201cWe are happy to continue this practice and to have contributed to another transformation of his materials.\u201d<\/p>\n

The student team who worked on the interactive installation includes:<\/p>\n