Art is Where You Are

At the beginning of the summer, I did not realize I was setting out to disrupt the goings on in Idaho Falls. I figured I could use my little patch of land to say my piece. My whole life, I've seen people pour their time and money into suppressing their land.

So many hours in the hot sun mowing while spewing out greenhouse gases.

So many gallons of water lost to the air as neighbors water in the heat of the day.

So many truckloads of chemicals poured over the earth to suppress unwanted plants.

I also saw reason to speak towards the conflict and struggles we see in our world today. Unprecedented environmental decline in the name of financial gain and outdated traditions. Direct Russian attacks on Ukraine's democracy and sovereignty. Blindness to reality for the sake of political interests. Generational divisions driven by greed and insensitivity.

Tufts of grass bundled with yellow yarn in my front yard.

So I bundled my grass.

With yellow yarn, I went through the rye grass in my front yard and bundled it. I took the opportunity to mix in a variety of perennial flowers to help the stray bees and pollinators looking for a snack in the neighborhood. Aside from doing my part to build a healthier ecosystem where I could, I found a message to be created in bundling my grass.

For those who are unaware, wheat is a prominent point of pride for Ukrainians, being a historic centerpiece of tradition and culture and one of their largest exports today. Ukrainians take such pride in their wheat that they feature wheat as a bright golden band along the bottom of their national flag.

I did not have wheat growing in my front yard, but the ryegrass I cultivated made for a striking resemblance. After I finished bundling my grass, I could not help but smile at the little homes sitting throughout my yard. I had my own little plot full of didukhy.

Didukh, a sheaf-amulet bound with ears, which symbolized a good harvest, family well-being, peace and harmony in the family, the connection between the family generations and eternal rebirth of light.

I began to get excited thinking about the bounty I would realize as the plants matured: Stalks and heads for a formal didukh, leaves and stalks gathered for making paper, leaves and flowers bundled for wall hangings. Indeed, the reference made to Ukrainian industry and tradition would raise the attention of anyone who walked by and took a moment to think.

It was something of a surprise when I came back from a week-long vacation to find a notice from the Idaho Falls Police Department that my yard was in violation of city code for "weeds." I looked around my yard and saw there were certainly areas I had left unattended, so I went through and whacked the weeds down where I knew things looked neglected. I reviewed the section of city code to see that I wouldn't have any more trouble. I went back to IF City Code to see how it was written:

Idaho Falls City Code Title 5 Chapter 8

I looked at my little village and began to worry about its future. While I saw my ornamentation as obvious, I wasn't so sure my suburban neighbors would understand the meaning behind my work. I figured I would follow up Code Enforcement to be sure I had corrected any outstanding violations and clarify the grass tied up in my yard.

When I spoke with Code Enforcement, they were less than understanding. The supervisor said the tied grass specifically had to go. I asked her how she could not recognize the ornamental purpose of the grass in my yard. She said my grass was "just grass" and "not the kind you would buy in a store," so it did not meet the parameters outlined in code. I asked her if there was an officer who I could have come out to the property and give me pointers so I could put this to rest while still respecting my grass as a sign of my beliefs and expression.

The Code Enforcement supervisor put me on the phone with an officer who said he refused to come out to the property and talk through the issue. I asked if he "as a neighbor" would be willing to come by and help put this to rest. He said, "I don't know what you're referencing... As a neighbor?" I clarified, that he, as someone who lives in our community surely would rather resolve this than make a bigger fuss out of this issue than it had already become. He said he did not live in Idaho Falls and that he would not be willing to help resolve the issue.

I was at a loss.

How was I supposed to change this part of me? Beyond the end of showing solidarity with Ukraine, I also was actively trying to do my part in living more sustainably with the land. Like those Ukrainians who started bundling their own grasses into didukh, I can recognize the spirits that live around us. By refusing to speak to me about the nature of my art and choosing to institute blanket enforcement, Idaho Falls Police are effectively censoring my ideas. How can any government require people to deny their right to express themselves in their most personal space--their home? Looking at my art, you can quickly see how plants, animals, and landscapes have come to mean so much to me. It would seem my first branching out into land art has made some effect. Would my city really require me to destroy it?

I have since filed an appeal to the Idaho Falls Board of Adjustments. I will be presenting my case at the September 22nd Board meeting at 12:15 pm. It cost me $150, but I don't feel like I had any other option in order to protect the land.

Wish me luck! Show your favorite places some love ❤️