Humus Park 2018 Polcenigo, Italy - Nick Neddo & Hannah Mitchell

It was my great honor and pleasure to have been invited as one of the international artists to participate in the 2018 Humus Park International Land Art Meeting in Italy.

I chose Hannah Mitchell as my artist assistant and together we worked to bring this piece to life. This work was the result of the first of two weeks of creative exploration that was at its heart, a collaboration with the land and ecosystem that hosted us.

Land Art is most compelling to me when it is in context. In this case we were compelled to work along the shores of a river, its majestic blue-green waters and the trees that bordered it became the studio gallery, so to speak. The work that evolved to occupy a small part of this space grew as an organic response to a creative dialogue that was taking place there. A conversation between the local natural materials, shape, texture, form, movement and the presence of the place itself informed the creative process in this work.

This will remain in Caneva/Polcenigo, Italy, in the Palu Di Livenza UNESCO World Heritage Site until it falls into the river and flows downstream. The Maple, Wild Grape, Honeysuckle and Willow that we used to create it will wash up on some riverbank or sea shore, as a skeleton just as ephemeral as the fresh work itself.

Willow Basket Bottom

Willow Basket Bottom

2-strand Twined base with a nice view of the foot.

Willow Barrel Basket

Willow Barrel Basket

A nice basket made with the French rand weaving technique.

Willow Basket Bottoms and Rods

Willow Basket Bottoms and Rods

Bases of future baskets sit among a pile of fresh willow rods.

Willow Rods

Willow Rods

Fresh willow rods ready to be worked or drafted, bundled and stored for future weaving projects.

Cat in a Basket

Cat in a Basket

A combination of alternating 3-rod Wailing and French Randing

Willow Belly Basket

Willow Belly Basket

An experimental weave with a wide variety of techniques

willow harvest

willow harvest

Willow and Red Osier basket, Nick Neddo

Willow and Red Osier basket, Nick Neddo

Willow Habitat

Willow Habitat

Willow rods, drafted and bundled

Willow rods, drafted and bundled

Atlatl Quiver

Atlatl Quiver

Willow vessel

Willow vessel

Assortment of Twined Cattail baskets

Assortment of Twined Cattail baskets

Coconut Palm leaf basket

Coconut Palm leaf basket

Twined Cattail leaves

Twined Cattail leaves

Coiled Cattail basket

Coiled Cattail basket

Coiled Bulrush basket base

Coiled Bulrush basket base

Black Ash Hex Weave basket

Black Ash Hex Weave basket

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Nesting Birch bark baskets

Nesting Birch bark baskets

Coiled Pine needle basket

Coiled Pine needle basket

Plaited Birch bark box

Plaited Birch bark box

Plaited Birch bark box, open

Plaited Birch bark box, open