About the Artist

America was founded on notions of private property, even though no natural barriers separate it as such. Native American people view land as a gift, which invites them to reciprocate. Most Americans today view land as property and natural resources to be used, which invites us to steal from the land, and eat without acknowledging the life that was given for ours. For 90% of human history we knew how to identify and gather wild food. Now we wrench food from the Earth with unethical farming practices instead of appreciating the free gifts offered to us. When I talk about foraging, most people are concerned about trespassing. What they don’t know is that trespassing laws were created to keep people in bondage. Slaves often bought their freedom by selling plants they foraged; and at once, trespassing was born. 

My work is my personal foraging field guide, an attempt to peacefully protest American consumer culture. In a world that pushes us to consume and work toward questionable goals, relearning forgotten skills is well worth the effort. I want to appreciate all the Earth has given us, and raise questions about how we can give back.