Author: Todd Smith

Hi! I am an interdisciplinary artist and committed educator. From 2007-2010 I climbed a tree everyday and documented the project with photography, video and writing on this blog. I am revisiting the trees and writing again starting March 2018. Stay tuned. My work considers our collective impact on the urban environment. Projects range from community-based, data-driven projects interpreting bike usage into sound, photography and video series exploring human movement through urban structures and green spaces, and interactive sculptures that vary in their use of found materials, analog technologies, and emerging digital media. I currently teach a variety of 2D, 3D and digital subjects at universities in the Louisville, Kentucky area.
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DAY 33



DAY 33
05.07.07
TREE 39

Another warm and sunny day out here. I love it. I really do love being home. The West Coast just wasn’t cutting it for me. And the situation I’m in, I do a little work, make a little art, see some friends, climb a tree… it truly is freedom. And speaking of climbing a tree, today’s was right on the lake. The branches were a little questionable in strength but I stayed close to the trunk and was fine. The bark was covered in green, dried out growth and it crumbled a lot. I got up to the top, got comfortable, then started getting hot. I shook the tree from the top and was surprised to see it affect even the lowest branches. I paused a few times on the way down for a nice seat. And my injured foot never bothered me. It is amazing that all this climbing has not been hindered by my various injuries. I really do enjoy these daily climbs.

5-7-08:  I am trying to remember what I did to my foot but I can’t.  All I can say is that I am glad I found the place and the activities that make me a happy person.  Also healthy, I think tree climbing has been very rejuvenating, healing, and positive for body and mind.  I guess that’s why I share this and try to get people to climb.  Maybe it can do the same for other people, or maybe it will make them think of some simple thing they can do everyday that could have the same affect.

On this day, one year ago, I bought a baby for $2.84.  Then it transformed.  I documented the strange transformation:





Then like that, my baby was gone.

Yesterday I took a walk in Cherokee Park with Father Paul.  He is a priest in the Franciscan Order who I met at the Mount.  He’s become a good friend but is moving to North Carolina soon.  He’s been itching to get into this blog… here you go Paul:

Posing like he’s going to climb.  Very nice!  He also filmed me climbing up and down.  I am only going to post the climb down since the climb up … well, Paul just had trouble holding the camera still and it might make people queasy.