The Petriverse of Pierre Jardin: by Paul A. Harris Main Menu Paul A. Harris

The Geo-Ode as Earth Assemblage

2 Rockery Reveries
Ultimately, the Geo-Ode genre may be understood as a form of Earth Assemblage: a configuration of found objects recontextualized in a loosely assembled composition. The Tidal Shelf installation in the Petriverse has continued to evolve over the four years it has been on display, as new objects get added and changes are made to the assemblage. The assemblage becomes a mnemonic record of travels and the small events that make up a life, such as the day a neighbor stopped by and presented Pierre Jardin with a dolphin skull.


The ever-changing display serves as a synecdoche for the Petriverse, a garden where nothing is written in stone, and everything is subject to change. One sleepless night a couplet came to Pierre Jardin that he felt better fitted the installation: 
TIDINGS FROM THE SEA
A MATTER OF DEBRIS
So he flipped the rock over, sprayed over the letters in a bright sea blue, and rebuilt the work.

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  1. A Geo-ode Written in Stone Paul A. Harris

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