Casperkill Watershed Oral History Project

For two weeks in the fall of 2007, the Palmer Gallery of Vassar College was taken over by BITTER-SWEET. Developed by New Jersey-based artists Ginger Andro and Chuck Glicksman, this multimedia installation used projection, reflection, scent and sound to explore the impact of human activity on the Casperkill. BITTER-SWEET derived its name from Oriental Bittersweet, an invasive plant that grows along the banks of the creek.

The press release for the installation described the significance of the plant thus:

This thought-provoking installation is designed to make viewers consider how, like Oriental Bittersweet, humans can be both beneficial and destructive for their environments. In the exhibit, artists Ginger Andro and Chuck Glicksman use the invasive plant as a larger metaphor for things that are both good and bad. For instance, while Oriental Bittersweet is recognized for its beauty and is often used in flower arrangements, it can also be extremely destructive to other plant life in its environment.

The idea for BITTER-SWEET emerged from an initial meeting between the artists and members of Vassar’s Environmental Studies Program. Andro and Glicksman were interested in the work that students were doing within the department, and the Casperkill Assessment Project came up as something that was capturing the attention of students and faculty at the time.  The artists decided to focus on the Oriental Bittersweet due to its metaphoric potential and aesthetic beauty.

A truly collaborative project between the artists, students and faculty; BITTER-SWEET combined artistic imagination with scientific research. One of the main features of the installation was a projection of benthic macroinvertebrates juxtaposed with interviews with student and faculty researchers. Another highlight was a display of the ‘scent of the Casperkill,’ which the artists distilled themselves.  Glass balls and mirrors added reflection to the mix.

Andro and Glicksman look back on the project with gratitude and satisfaction. For them, it was a truly educational experience; they went in knowing nothing about the Casperkill but came out having learned plenty from their collaboration with professors and students. For example, they learned about the impact of road salt and invasive species on the health of waters bodies. They have since become involved in their community to combat these issues.

The artists particularly enjoyed their interactions with students. Andro remembers approaching students in the hallway and asking them what they thought the Casperkill smelled like. “We got very varied responses, everything ranging from something from your dead grandmother’s attic to the most romantic scent you can imagine.”

To read the press release for BITTER-SWEET, see BITTER-SWEET exhibit at Palmer Gallery to use Casperkill plants as art

For more information on Andro and Glicksman, visit http://www.glicksmandro.com/

Images and video courtesy of Ginger Andro and Chuck Glicksman.