M A T E R I A L C U L T U R E
A
l i e n
H
a r v e s t
S T O R Y B Y
D r e w H im m elstein
P a tte rso n C la rk liv e s on a s tre e t w h e r e
d e n se ly b u ilt h o m e s g iv e w a y to th e bram -
b ly w o o d s o f W h ite h a v e n P a r k , n ear th e
G e o rg e to w n n e ig h b o rh o o d o f W a sh in g to n ,
D C . O n an o v e rc a s t w in te r d a y , th e g ro u n d
is m u d d y and th e tre e s are b are ; le a fy E n g -
lish iv y v in e s clim b in g u p a tre e are th e o n ly
sp o t o f g re e n on th e lan d scap e.
C la rk has his e y e o n th at iv y . “ I ’ll ta k e
th e vin e s, strip o f f th e le a v e s, b o il th e vin e s,
strip o f f th e b a rk ,” he says. “ I’ll p u t th em
th ro u g h a p lan t sh red d er, th en in an alkalin e
co o k in g solu tio n . T h e n I’ll w a sh th em . T h e n
I ’ll p u t th em in a h ig h -p o w e re d b le n d er,
th en in a b e a te r.”
N o , C la rk isn ’t a g a rd en e r w ith a v in d ic -
tiv e strea k . H e ’s an artist and n atu ralist w h o
b y d a y w o r k s as an artist fo r th e
W ashington
Post.
A fe w yea rs a go , h e b ecam e co n cern ed
ab ou t in v a siv e p lan ts lik e E n g lish iv y , w h ite
m u lb e rry and m u ltiflo ra ro se c h o k in g ou t
sp ecies lik e A m e ric a n b e e ch and tu lip p o p -
lars th a t are n a tiv e to his area aro u n d R o c k
C re e k P a rk , o f w h ic h W h ite h a v e n P a rk is
a p art, and he g o t a licen se fro m th e N atio n al
P a rk S e rv ic e to re m o v e th e in v a siv e plants
n ea r h is h o m e . B u t rip p in g o u t th e p la n ts
and th ro w in g th em a w a y fe lt d e stru c tiv e
an d w a s te fu l. A n d w ith an u n d e rg ra d u a te
d e g re e in b io lo g y (la te r fo llo w e d u p b y
an m f a fro m th e C a lifo rn ia In stitu te o f th e
A r ts ) , h e k n e w that th ese plants had u sefu l
p ro p e rtie s. H e sta rted b rin g in g th e plan ts
h e p ic k e d in to h is b a se m e n t stu d io , and
o v e r th e la st s e v e ra l y e a rs , h e ’s b e e n p e r -
fe c tin g th e p ro c e ss fo r tu rn in g in v ad e rs
in to p a p e r, in k and, u ltim a te ly , art.
“ T h e y h a v e so m u ch to o ffe r ,” C la rk
sa y s. “ T h e y ’re g r o w in g w ith o u t a n y c u lti-
v a tio n . T h e y d o n ’t n eed fe rtiliz e r o r p e sti-
cid es. S o w h y n o t tap in to th e ab u n d an ce ?”
C la r k ’s stu d io is a w a rre n o f th ree sm all
room s b u rstin g w ith th e eq u ip m en t h e uses
to m ake p a p e r and in k , as w e ll as p lan ts at
va rio u s stages o f p ro d u ctio n . L u m b e r fro m
d o w n e d trees hangs fro m rack s su sp en d ed
fro m th e ce ilin g , a lo n g w ith to o ls and h o m e -
m ade k ites. T h e filin g cab in ets and sh elves
lin in g th e w a lls are fille d w ith h o m e m ad e
p a p e r and d rie d in k o n p o rc e la in p la te s.
A H o lla n d e r b e a te r, a 20-ton sh op p ress, an
a ir-d ryin g p ress, a V a n d e rc o o k le tte rp re ss
Clark’s papermaking
process, used to create
“currency,” such as the
three-weed note, begins
with steaming branches
and stripping their bark.
This reveals bast fibers,
which are cooked in an
alkaline solution of ash
lye. The fibers arc then
separated and beaten.
He suspends the result-
ing pulp in a vat of water
used for papermaking.
Clark creates pigments
from weed bark, such as
that of the Asiatic bitter-
sweet. For ink used
on woodblocks, Clark
burns weeds, mixing the
soot with water, gum
arabic and glycerin.
026 american craft oct/nov 10
