Lisa Murch’s keen interest in botany and her obsessive use of everyday materials join forces in work that mimics the transformation that invasive species bring to bear on the environment. During January and February, she worked at Wave Hill each week, “spinning” the invasive plants that crowd the stairwell from an array of ordinary craft materials - yarn, wire and paper mache. Porcelain berry (Ampelopsis bevipedunculata) bursts from under the stairs and snakes along the balustrade with its strong vine structure. Garlic mustard (Alliaria petiolata) grows out of control on the floor. Originally used for food and medicinal purposes the vibrant leaves reproduced here are high in vitamins A and C. It is most invasive in areas with high deer population because deer leave it alone. Japanese knotweed (Polygonum cuspidatum) climbs up the left wall. First introduced as an ornamental, its tenacious root structure is one of the features that has landed it on the noxious weed list in 6 states. On the right, the Hemlock branch is encrusted with wooly adelgid (Adelas tsugae) an Asiatic pest that limits its growth.

Each of these plants is persistent throughout the northeast. For over 20 years, Wave Hill has worked to re-establish a natural wooded landscape removing non-native species such as these and replacing them with endemic plants. The gardeners and Forest Project volunteers provide the constant vigilance, hand-weeding, and digging out that is required to keep these opportunistic plants at bay.

Lisa Murch draws on her studies of entomology, biology and zoology in her sculptures and installations. Since receiving her MFA from the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts in 2003, Murch has exhibited her work in Philadelphia, PA at the Fleisher Art Memorial, Ester Klein Gallery, The Schuylkill Center, Thomas Eakins House, as well as Abington Art Center, Jenkintown, PA; and Arcadia University Art Gallery, Glenside, PA. This is her first exhibition in New York. She has received a Window of Opportunity Grant from The Leeway Foundation and the Prince of Whales Foundation Fellowship.