In January 2010, I visited the Deukmaejian Wilderness for the first time. The wilderness area had been completely devastated eight months earlier by the infamous Station fires. The fires had burned everything to the ground and the winter rains that followed caused such an extreme amount of erosion that the once well maintained trails and park were completely obliterated. Nature had pushed the "reset" button.
I had been invited to participate in an exhibition to raise money to rebuild the wilderness park.
The exhibition was a great success. I presented a video "Water Will Find a Way," and
photographs of an installation, named "Deuk Arches," that I had built in a remote section of the Dunsmore creek more than two miles up into the steep ashy mountain. The installation, consisted of six arches built over the the babbling creek, and was built during a three day two night stay in April.
"Deuk Arches" Installation View #1
Artist: Christopher Casanova
Deukmaejian Wilderness Park
San Gabriel Mountains, California
Materials: River Stones
"Deuk Arches" Installation View #2
Artist: Christopher Casanova
Deukmaejian Wilderness Park
San Gabriel Mountains, California
Materials: River Stones
"Deuk Arches" Installation View #3
Artist: Christopher Casanova
Deukmaejian Wilderness Park
San Gabriel Mountains, California
Materials: River Stones
I have visited the park several times since the completion of the piece. It is amazing how quickly nature begins again. It seems to have started slowly, with just wildflowers and grass, but is now a vibrant young forested area again. When I last visited in May of 2011, four of the six arches were still intact.
"Water Will Find A Way"
Artist: Christopher Casanova
Deukmaejian Wilderness Park
San Gabriel Mountains, California
