Event 1 Blog

For event number 1, I attended the open workshops put on by Linda Weintraub. The workshop was very hands on and definitely different from another type of workshop I have been to. Before we entered the workshop as a group she had explained to us some of the reasoning behind it. She told us that most of the majority of the people in our world only walks on industrialized surfaces such as pavement or roads/pathways constructed for walking.

She then went around the group to ask what percentage we think we spend not walking on paved ground. The answers were shocking and most said between 0-5% of their life spent off of a paved surface. Some of the answers were a little higher than 5% some at 10%, however when you put it into perspective that is still not a lot of time spent off of paved grounds. The only reason I was able to give an answer above 5% is because I play beach volleyball, so I have to play on a natural uneven surface. This topic really stood out to me and really put into perspective how we live our lives in the modern industrialized world. We need more natural experiences in our lives.

A diagram of the workshop stations layout

Linda Weintraub

From lectures we learn about how art and technology/sciences are related and how they have evolved together over the years. However, because today’s society has come so far and relies heavily on technology and industrialized we rarely seek contact with the natural world around us. This event brought part of the natural world to us that we may not be use to and allowed us to interact with the material on a physical and sensual level.  There were six different stations and at each one you were able to experience different parts of the woods that Linda brought to us.

At every station there were boxes all containing different material from the woods and each with its own unique directions to follow. There were two stations that impacted me the most, the main one in the middle called “Bare your soul, Bare your soles” and the other was “flavor and aroma. ” I found the  “Bare your soles” very intriguing because you were able to physically feel the different types of material from the woods under your feet. Each material was so unique and you experienced a different sensation and texture for each one. At “flavor and aroma” station I examined the box about maple trees. Inside the box was a box of ashes from the maple tree and a jar of syrup that was made form the maple tree. I thought this box was so interesting because it revealed how just one maple tree can be so valuable. The blurb one the box explained how the sap from the tree was boiled down to create maple syrup and pieces of wood from the same tree were used for the fire of the boiling process. The ashes left from the fire were then used to fertilize a new maple tree helping it to grow. It is amazing how many different uses just this one tree has. I have never considered the multiple uses and values such a tree can produce. This made me realize that there are so many other things in nature that are just as valuable and if not more valuable than a maple tree. Also on a side note the maple syrup tasted very good.

   


I would definitely recommend my classmates and others to attend this event if they could. The material in the workshop was all very natural and simple, however it is not something we are able to encounter everyday. The workshop allows you to think differently about the materials in nature and the way we interact with them. I personally had a great time at this workshop, and was pleasantly surprised with the experience I encountered through it. Linda Weintraub was so passionate about her workshop and people being able to experience natural sensations that we do not encounter on a daily basis.


                        

  • (All Pictures are mine)
  • Attended the event on Wednesday April 19th, 2017


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