My wall-based installation is inspired by the development of Prospect Park and how its changes parallel the population of Brooklyn at large. When Frederick Law Olmsted designed the park in the 1860s, he envisioned a great park as a tranquil, rural landscape where people could recuperate from the incessant pace of city life. He believed these pleasures belonged to people of every social class, not just the wealthy who could afford to travel outside the city. Exotic species from all over the world were planted in the park-- a poignant counterpart to the park’s visitors from all over the world.

A movement in “vertical gardens” is growing as an alternative to traditional “horizontal gardens” and the most famous developer of them is Patrick Blanc, the French botanist and artist. This installation references a vertical garden and includes cast ceramic elements depicting plant species of native and exotic origins, cast from my favorite area of Prospect Park, which is filled with an elaborately detailed bridge facade, walkway and surrounding planters. Nestled in that area are a dozen magnificent London Plane trees, Brooklyn’s most common tree, which is a hybrid of the native American Sycamore and the Oriental Plane. Unlike the American Sycamore, which is easily susceptible to disease, the London Plane is resilient and fast-growing. These two plant species from opposite sides of the earth which are fused together and evolve into a stronger being, form a perfect metaphor for the melting pot of Brooklyn. My installation pairs the ephemeral bark of this tree with my stony ceramic casts.

- Julia Whitney Barnes