1152 - Ash Trunk Bronze Sculpture by Josh WInkler

Welcome to the Med-City Talking Trail. I’m Josh Winkler. Download the Talking Trail mobile app to explore the Med-City Art Talking Trail.

I’m a Minnesota artist working from my home studio, SKS Press, in rural Minnesota near St. Peter. I primarily utilize printmaking and sculptural processes in my work. Personal experience in the landscape, historical research, and the magic and mystery of the natural world drive my creative practice. My work encourages people to think about their relationship to the environment, history, and the present moment. This project was completed in 2016 and was supported by the Minnesota State Arts Board. I will read through some background and context for this particular sculpture in hopes to better inform visitors about my thought process, as well as the infestation of emerald ash borer bark beetles in Minnesota, and end with some gratitude for organizations that helped make this project possible. Thank you for taking the time to listen to this audio. If you would like to see more of my work, visit joshkwinkler.com or follow me on Instagram @winkjosh.

Native to Asia, the emerald ash borer was first found near Detroit in 2002. This exotic bark beetle arrived in the US in the packing material of cargo ships. Since its arrival, it has killed hundreds of millions of ash trees through the Midwest and East. The larvae feed on the inner bark of the tree. This inhibits the tree from carrying water and nutrients to its living foliage. The adult beetles exit the trees in the spring and fly to new specimens to lay their eggs and repeat the cycle.

Humans transporting firewood are the most common means for the spread. In 2008, it arrived in Minnesota. Minnesota has some 900 million ash trees, more than any other state. As of 2016, when the sculpture was created, the beetle had only been documented in the Twin Cities and Rochester areas of Minnesota. This sculpture at Soldiers Field Memorial Park replaces an ash tree that did not survive an EAB infestation. If you look around the walking track, you will see a perimeter of living 60-year-old ash trees that are being treated to prevent infestation. The furrowed bark characteristic of the ash tree is captured in the industrial material of poured concrete, referencing the built environment, shipping containers, and commerce that facilitated the spread of the beetle. Bronze emerald ash borers are placed about the trunk to symbolize the spring departure of adult beetles from their host trees to new specimens on which to lay their eggs. 600-plus hand-printed postcards were placed in the subtle brass cylinder inside each sculpture. These letterpress prints were illustrated with dead beetles and helpful links about EAB in Minnesota.

Today, as passersby examine the sculpture, they will find the bronze beetles and the card box which I’ve registered as a geocache site. Unfortunately, the emerald ash borer has continued to spread through Minnesota since the completion of this project. The majority of southern and central Minnesota is generally infested and there are even some extensions north around Duluth and Brainerd. We should all avoid moving ash firewood in the state of Minnesota to do our part in preventing the further spread of the ash borer. Again, big thank you’s go out to the Minnesota State Arts Board, the Greater Rochester Arts and Cultural Trust, and Rochester Parks and Recreation for helping to make this work possible.