Restored Marsh on Site Being Observed by Grandfather Thunder Cloud After Death
Grandfather, ThunderCloud, a Cherokee Elder, was invited to bless the site of reclamation when the project began, in 1991, by performing a traditional Medicine Wheel ceremony. He was invited because I met his wife, Helene Sorkin, and knew his Firekeeper, Paul McMahon, when I lived in New York. After he left, the rocks from the ceremony were brought indoors and made part of a meditative installation in my studio. Grandfather passed away at the time the marsh was restored, six years later. When I learned of his death, I felt like his spirit was still blessing and looking over the marsh. The visual was created in 1997 to announce a presentation by Bioengineer Wendy Goldsmith, Chief Bioengineer of The Bioengineering Group, of our collaborative work to make the salt marsh, for the international conference, "Manufactured Sites" at the Harvard Graduate School of Design, exactly one year after their restoration and his passing. Technically, it was created with a scanner, razor blades, color xerox and heart. Because of the popularity of the image, it has been made available as a greeting card.