While the quest for a perfect lawn can be an environmentally hazardous undertaking, Marguerite Kahrl and Paul Ruff present a new approach to lawn mowing. They have devised a mower that is fabricated from recycled parts and powered by solar energy. The artists play with the idea of control over the lawn by introducing a mower pulled by a robot that can be operated remotely from the patio, eliminating the need for a person to push or drive it. Cutting grass for one hour with a gasoline-powered lawn mower produces emissions that are similar to driving a gasoline-powered car for 93 miles. This alternative system requires approximately 5 days to charge a vehicle that is sufficient as a family mower.

Marguerite Kahrl brings to her machine-oriented projects the experience of working as an alternative energy specialist, electrician and welder. Her practice also includes sculpture and drawings that have been exhibited internationally, including solo exhibitions at Fondazione Sandretto Re Rebaudengo, Turin, Italy; Derek Eller Gallery, New York, NY; and group exhibitions including Living Green: Examining Sustainability, Institute of Contemporary Art, Maine College of Art, Portland, ME; Fresh Kills: Artists Respond to the Closure of the Staten Island Landfill, Newhouse Center for Contemporary Art, Sung Harbor Cultural Center, Staten Island, NY. She earned a BA and BFA from the University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, and MFA from Rhode Island School of Design, Providence, RI. www.kahrl.com

From an early age, Paul Ruff began making mini bikes and go-carts using motors from old lawn mowers. After apprenticing as a metal fabricator, machinist and electrician in Connecticut, Ruff built robotic devices to function in assembly lines at Twin Rivers Engineering in Maine. Later he built a motorized flat-bed railroad car to transport materials to the job, and rebuilt a pedestrian drawbridge while working for a marine construction company. He has since worked as a house builder, specializing in post and beam houses. Over the past 20 years, he built his own home, as well as machine and wood shops, acquiring metal working equipment to construct a variety of machines, often using recycled parts.