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Jackie BrooknerArtist, environmental activist, writer and educator
Country:
 USA |
Content:
- Jackie Brookner: Artist, Environmental Advocate, Educator, and Writer
- Early Life and Artistic Education
- Sculpture and Installations
- Literary Exploration
- "Of Earth and Cotton"
- Bio Sculptures: Artistic and Ecological Innovation
- "Prima Lingua" and "I'm You"
- Multidisciplinary Collaborations
- Salway Park Restoration
- Fargo Stormwater Basin Transformation
- Teaching and Legacy
Jackie Brookner: Artist, Environmental Advocate, Educator, and Writer
Jackie Brookner (1945-2014) was a remarkable artist, environmentalist, and educator whose work explored the intersection of art and ecology. She pioneered the creation of "bio sculptures," innovative living works that transformed cultural values and facilitated harmony between nature and human communities.
Early Life and Artistic Education
Born in 1945 in Providence, Rhode Island, Brookner earned a B.A. from Wellesley College and a Ph.D. in art history from Harvard University. In 1975, she assisted sculptor Isaac Witkin in creating steel sculptures. In the mid-1970s, she moved to New York City and studied drawing at the New York Studio School under Nicolas Carone.
Sculpture and Installations
In the 1980s and early 1990s, Brookner's work shifted towards sculpture and installations focused on landscape ecology. Cast bronze sculptures, inspired by the movement of water and plant growth, were exhibited at the Oscarsson Hood Gallery in New York City in the early 1980s. In 1987, she began experimenting with unconventional materials such as soil, velvet, tires, feathers, tailpipes, and silk to explore the psychological and gendered associations evoked by these materials.
Literary Exploration
In the early 1990s, Brookner's writing explored the disconnect between humanity and the natural world. Her book, "Language of the Heart: The Poetry of Nature," questioned the consequences of living in a "soulless culture." This led to a series of installations that showcased soil from various regions, highlighting the critical importance of soil health.
"Of Earth and Cotton"
Brookner's groundbreaking project, "Of Earth and Cotton," traveled through the southern United States from 1994 to 1998, following the westward migration of the Cotton Belt. In each location, she interviewed former cotton farmers who had handpicked cotton in the 1930s and 1940s. She sculpted their footprints from local soil collected from nearby cotton fields.
The footprints became the centerpiece of an installation that included 60 tons of soil and 2,500 pounds of raw cotton. Accompanying this work was video footage of the farmers' interviews and 40 photographs from the 1930s Depression-era Farm Security Administration, depicting the lives and working conditions of cotton farmers.
Bio Sculptures: Artistic and Ecological Innovation
Brookner's research on art and ecology led her to develop a practice that sought to "provide ecological benefit while assisting in the transformation of cultural values." Through her bio sculptures, she combined the conceptual and aesthetic possibilities of sculpture with ecosystem functions.
These bio sculptures thrived in aquatic environments, with mosses and plants growing on rocks and concrete bases. They acted as living filtration systems, purifying water inhabited by fish, snails, plants, and other organisms. The plants and bacteria within the sculptures' root zones transformed waste and pollutants into food, demonstrating the inherently zero-waste nature of healthy natural systems.
"Prima Lingua" and "I'm You"
Brookner's first bio sculpture, "Prima Lingua," was commissioned in 1995 by Appalachian State University for the exhibition "Ground Level Views: Art and Ecology in the Late '90s." The work featured a large tongue "lapping water and purifying the pollution" in the water around it.
Another significant bio sculpture, "I'm You," was installed in 2000 at Wave Hill Public Garden in the Bronx, New York. It resembled human hands built from steel frames covered with microscopic moss. "I'm You" also incorporated volcanic rock, water, rubber, plywood, plants, fish, an aeroponic misting system, and pumps.
Multidisciplinary Collaborations
From 2002 onward, Brookner collaborated with ecologists, engineers, policymakers, design professionals, and community members to create multi-functional public artworks that directly addressed water-related issues. These large-scale projects demonstrated how stormwater and other polluted water sources could be managed and restored for habitat revitalization in parks, wetlands, rivers, and former sewage lagoons.
Salway Park Restoration
Brookner's work on the Salway Park project (2002-2008) involved installing over 100 bio sculptures in a Cincinnati, Ohio wetland to cleanse stormwater runoff from three acres of baseball fields and parking lots. The goal was to mitigate the effects of pollution on the nearby Mill Creek, with the entire bioremediation system powered by solar energy.
Fargo Stormwater Basin Transformation
At the time of her passing, Brookner was working on an ambitious project with the city of Fargo, North Dakota, its residents, and local artists. The aim was to transform an 18-acre stormwater detention basin into a multifunctional community space that would meet diverse needs.
The project envisioned restoring prairie and wetland habitats, an orchard, natural play areas, an amphitheater, festival space, a gathering place, and community gardens that would feed 50 families. Launched in 2010, this pilot project serves as a model for 19 other basins across Fargo.
Teaching and Legacy
Brookner taught at the University of Pennsylvania, Harvard University, Bard College, and the New York Studio School. She lectured at Parsons The New School for Design until her untimely death. Brookner's artistic and ecological contributions continue to inspire artists, environmentalists, and educators worldwide.
