How To Interact With A Plant is a project which asks the public- What if we thought of plants as living beings capable of sensing how we feel, communicating with us in some way, and maybe even remembering us? This project looks to connect the community, people of all ages to come interact with plants and tell stories.
Originally conceived in two parts, the first being an experiment in listening and the second in sharing with the community. In 2015, the Keene State College community and beyond were invited into a private curated room in the Mason Library to talk, sing, offer drawings, or be silent in the presence of five house plants. Guided through the art of deep listening, participants came in contact with plants in an unexpected way and found inspiration in new awareness. The second part of the project was an installation in the Thorne-Sagendorph Art Gallery where viewers could sit on the grass and listen to what people shared with the plants. The participants remained anonymous. A book of transcripts and drawings were also available to view.
Recording # 17
So I’m older than all of you. I’m about 63 years old, but you know human beings don’t live much more than 100 years. So I’m still a young guy. I’ll tell you a short story about a time I had in Maine where I had a friend. A Lady. She and I were bartenders in the same place and it was February and very cold and very snowy. And in fact it was snowing quite hard and that day. She and I decided to get into her small station wagon and drive to Pompton Beach. We brought a pint of clams, a package of tinfoil, some charcoal briquettes and a mason jar half filled with whiskey. And we walked out on to the beach and the wind had blown a lot of the snow off of the sand by the dunes and we hunkered up against one of the dunes and there was ice on the sand down by the water and about a foot of snow across the top of the dunes. And we were in this sort of like packed in area of sand and the wind was broken because it was blown right over the tops of our heads over the dune. And we dug a little pit about a foot deep in the sand and about 2 feet across and lined it with tinfoil and put the clams in there. Poured in a little bit of sea water. I forgot to mention, we put the charcoal briquettes in there and lit them first. We sipped whiskey while we waited for them to get hot and then we put the clams on the hot coals. They were actually sitting in a little pan. They got nice and cooked up. That was one of the best clam bakes I ever had. I enjoyed it very much. It has always been a very fond memory.
Recording # 21
If you’re happy here, you’ll have to teach me about being happy. I don’t think I’ve quite figured that out. Its hard to be around someone who is so unhappy so much of the time. People here are kind of mean. Not very friendly. Not very helpful.
Recording # 30
Your stillness is not taken for granted! Maybe, maybe at some point we will trade places in the future…..or the past.
Recording # 32
Plants remind me of one of my best friends. She was the coolest person that I knew. She had plants in her apartment when I went to visit her in Boston. It was so cool, to me it was a sign of being a grown up and having cool plants that you could be responsible for in your apartment. Today was good so far. I woke up in the arms of somebody who loves me.
Recording # 42
I wish I could be more like you. Still and quiet. Rooted. Not wanting anything. It’s like a leaf in the wind.
