Perhaps you were strolling through Rock Creek Park over the last few weeks and happened upon an unexpected site, white lines tracing the curves of dead tree limbs throughout the park. Perhaps you took an extra moment to look around at your surroundings and wonder how long those trees had been there, when did they die and fall, was it last winter perhaps or farther back. Did you trace the lines of the tape to see where the tree limbs began and where they ended.
Karl Burke has spent the last few weeks in DC on a residency with us here at Solas Nua. While here, he explored the trails of Rock Creek Park and performed, what he calls, Interventions. Karl is interested in ideas of time and space. His Interventions explore these ideas within the context of nature. While in Rock Creek Karl traced the path of those dead tree limbs with simple electrical tape, and then photographed the spaces. Karl will sometimes leave his Interventions in place, but in this case he removed them immediately after photographing. The result is more than simply the documentation of the event itself, but a lasting work in and of itself.
In tandem with these outdoor interventions Karl has a show at The Fridge DC. hidden in the rear alley of Eastern Market. Along one wall you will find the 5 prints described above. On the far wall of the space a video installation. Karl tracked the movement of a single square of light across his apartment wall. Every 10 minutes he enters the screen and traces the outline of the square. The final component of the installation are 6 constructed frames, each with an added 3×4 running the length of frame.
If you haven’t had a chance to visit the show yet, you must head down to The Fridge. Karl is on his way back home tomorrow but his work will be up through December 9.
