Walden Here project description

Betsy Lohrer Hall

Walden Here, 2015

Only that day dawns to which we are awake.

--Henry David Thoreau

Walden Here is not so much a fixed object, as a process and shared experience. This project, initiated by Los Angeles based artist Betsy Lohrer Hall, will first take place as part of the Beautiful Planet exhibition at El Camino College in Torrance, California.

At five intervals over the course of the exhibition, the artist will dedicate four consecutive uninterrupted hours to being outdoors, technology free. Each experience will focus on perceiving with one of the five senses. 

***Others are invited to do the same—wherever they are in the world—and to interpret or respond to the project in any way they choose.***

A space within the El Camino College Art Gallery will serve as a site for display and experimentation. The artist will be present in the space each Thursday from 12 noon to 2pm, through the run of the exhibition. All are invited to come by for dialogue and exchange.

Join us Tuesday, February 3 at 1pm at the gallery for In the Field, a series of experiential activities related to the Walden Here project. It is free and open to everyone.

This website has been set up to record and share discoveries and observations. If you are interested in contributing photos or writing, please contact the artist at www.betsylohrerhall.com.

The quote, above, is from the final chapter of Henry David Thoreau’s Walden, also known as Walden; A Life in the Woods. This book contains, among many other things, the author’s reflections upon simple living in natural surroundings.