In this project Algernon Miller builds on his interest in Seneca Village, a thriving village of people of African descent that was removed to make way for Central Park in the mid-19th century. Today Central Park is so well established as the city’s natural core, it’s easy to forget that the park was totally fabricated. Miller accessed archeological studies, and finding that very little is known about the flora there, looked at other sources to find plants that were common at the time. His installation explores the parallel displacement of plants and people through three trees constructed from stained and hammered aluminum. One tree is based on a London plane, one of the few living trees that pre-dates the park construction. Inscribed on the bark are leaves of other plants likely to be found in the area. Another is based on a black walnut tree and refers to departing residents of Seneca Village through images of people holding plants. The map of Seneca Village is the texture of the third tree. Framed drawings of laser lights inscribing the village within the park are included on the wall.

Algernon Miller’s work has been exhibited at Haven Gallery, Bronx, NY; Tribes Gallery; Taller Boricua Gallery; Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture; the New Museum; and the Whitney Museum of American Art, all in New York, NY. He exhibited in Forest of Hope at the Charles Dana Center in Central Park where he also participated in workshops with families and youth. Miller was commissioned by the New York City Percent for Art Program to design the Frederick Douglass Circle in Manhattan along with Quennell Rothschild and Partners. The project is currently under construction.

The artist wishes to thank Provision Interactive Technologies, Inc., Chatsworth, CA, www.provision.tv, and 3DMIRAGE, New York, NY, www.3dmirage.com for the loan of the Holo Vision HLD 2100 (HL aerial image system) screen.