‘What bubbles up’: the experience of nature-based art

Abstract

This study combines participant observation and photovoice documentation to examine the experience of site-specific, nature-based art. Twenty-four participants generated 70 pages of written narrative and 139 photographs during 72 collective hours at the South Carolina Botanical Garden. The sculpture program’s stated goal of producing unique, extra-ordinary experiences for garden visitors is evaluated through analyses of the participants’ observations and photographs. The authors argue that participants’ initial reactions are marked by tensions created when the site-specific, nature-based characteristics of the artwork fail to live up to expectations of orderly arrangement and comprehensible utility. However, the tension generated through the apparent failure to generate immediate comprehension and appreciation is found to be ultimately resolved through contemplative engagement. The unexpected encounter with an unmarked formation, deliberate yet naturalized, offers the viewer an experience beyond the order and utility that generally define our world.