'Hiking in the Foothills, 09/2022'
Teal Gardner, Digital Photo
The Ecogeoglyphic Observatory (fondly referred to as the EGG) is a project that explores the curious dynamics of present-day industrial development in the region surrounding Boise, and the effects that this process has over the plants, animals, water, stone, soil and people who exist here.
Ecogegolyphic is a neologism coined by me. It breaks down into three parts: Eco - ecology - from oikos, Ancient Greek for house/home. Invoking our home place. Geo - earth - from gê, Ancient Greek for earth. Invoking the material earth. Glyphic - carve - from glyphē, Greek for carve/hollow/engrave. Invoking the act of writing, of carving into stone. Our lines erase their webs. Ecogeoglyphic is a new term for thinking about suburban and industrial development. It implies writing in and over ecologies and geologies, using a certain language that is familiar to us all- suburban sprawl. Through platting the earth for development, and the process of digging out the foundations for an explosion of it in the Boise Valley, companies have been inscribing the earth with their logic. What does this logic express about our time? As new homes and industrial facilities appear, covering the earth with gridded subdivision lines, natural ecosystem relations are erased. If given the choice to explore different options, what traces would we leave on the face of the living earth? The EGG Observatory is seeking field workers! I am an artist who wants to build a project together with people living in the Boise Valley. In it we intentionally observe, document, explore, research and dream. I am creating the EGG Observatory to do just that, but I can’t do it alone. Field Workers will be people who are inspired by the ideas in this flier, and who want to go deeper. I am looking for 7 people to join me as a cohort who will be doing artistic research to contribute to the EGG Observatory. Field Workers will have access to the Observatory studio; be invited on cohort excursions; have opportunities to give art talks on their research; and ultimately develop a project to be shared at The EGG Observatory show at MING Studios in March, 2023. But why focus on Development at all? Perhaps I am so compelled because I love this place, all the way down. I feel sensitive to the dirt, the rocks, the plants, the animals here, and I want to think of them as being inherently valuable. I also don’t want to assume that the ways Development scours across the land is inevitable. I see the logic of Development as the language of our time, written on the earth. I wonder what effects present day choices are having over the long-term viability of this place as a home. Taking this view, the EGG Observatory looks closely at decisions being made in the present, while remaining attached to the past and future by the tender threads of the ecological conditions that support biotic life in our home. Please join me on this strange and wonderful journey! Sincerely, Teal Gardner P.S. Drop me a line: eggobservatory@gmail.com Teal Gardner (she/her) is an artist and educator living in Boise, originally from Nebraska. Her work explores the relationships between humans and the natural environment, especially focusing on infrastructure, development, and land use. She is the founder of The Ecogeoglyphic Observatory. |
CURRENT EGG EVENTS
OPEN EGG
Wednesdays, November - March, 5-8PM Visit with Teal Gardner and project 'Field Workers' at The Ecogeoglyphic Observatory, located in the courtyard at MING Studios. Learn about the project, and how to participate. 
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PREVIOUS EGG EVENTS
EGGLUCK
Saturday, December 10, 4-6PM A gathering of Ecogeoglyphic 'Field Workers' and anyone interested in contributing to EGG. Learn about the scope of the project into the next few months; share ideas; sign up to use the EGG studio! |
EXHIBITION (Phase 1)
October 15 - November 12, 2022 An exhibition of work that has led Teal Gardner to create the EGG Observatory, more info on the project, and opportunities to get involved. |
CLOSING EVENT
Saturday, November 12, 6-9PM Join us for a farewell to phase 1 of the Ecogeoglyphic Observatory as it moves on to phase 2! The exhibition features video, sound, installation, interactive overhead projections, an aerial map, and questions for visitors; as well as tours of the EGG Observatory's studio, located in the courtyard behind MING Studios. The closing will feature new work collaboratively made by students from One Stone, a local nonprofit high school; takeaway posters for donation. |
03 FIELD STUDIES
Wees Bar Petroglyph Hike Sunday, November 6, 10AM-4PM Meet at Swan Falls Dam Parking Lot Bring plenty of water and lunch. The hike is 11 miles round trip, on mostly flat ground. |
02 FIELD STUDIES
Zoning Code Rewrite Community Conversation Monday, October 17, 6-7:30PM This meeting will focus on the process and procedures that any development must go through, the process governs what gets a neighborhood meeting, what goes to our commission and committees and what will be presented in front of the City Council. |
01 FIELD STUDIES
Coffee at Tesoro Sunday, October 16, 9:30AM Meet at Marianne Williams Park Parking Lot On Sunday you are invited to join the EGG Observatory for a 9:30 AM gathering, where Teal will be sharing some tactics for observation and interaction with these EGGy themes. |
The Ecogeoglyphic Observatory (Phase 1)
October 15 - November 12, 2022
October 15 - November 12, 2022
PHOTOS Uli Westphal