Common Love,
Aesthetics of Becoming
April 27–June 11, 2011
Gabriel Martinez
Cracks in the pavement are watered with Miracle-Gro (Rose Park), 2005
C-print
7 x 10 in.
Courtesy the artist
In his ongoing piece Cracks in the pavement are watered with Miracle-Gro (Rose Park), Martinez encourages and assists small frail weeds and blades of grass in their effort to break through concrete and displace asphalt. While nature in public parks is often thought of as common, this particular growth is considered unsightly. Weeds are regularly removed, while man-made forces hinder nature. By feeding and strengthening only what grows in the cracks, Martinez creates a metaphor for the potential strength of the marginal and does so, paradoxically, using artificial means.