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 23


DAY 23
04.27.07
TREE 26

A disappointing and scary climb. I picked a tree on the edge of a wood so only one side of the tree had decent branches. Plus, the first branch was so high I had to start way out where it hung down and shimmy towards the trunk. Once on that branch I could reach the second, but getting on that was hard and I was too scared to get to my feet. The third branch just wasn’t close enough and I was too high to risk it without a backup grip. So I gave up going high and walked out on the first branch as far as I could. I tied my ribbon and climbed down. I’m just frustrated I let my fear get the best of me because the treetop looked fun.

4-27-08:  It’s funny to read this because that day’s climb had a profound affect on how I climb now.  If a certain tree or move in a tree seems really hard, scary, and/or ridiculous I now have to do it.  Anytime I challenged myself it made that experience so much better and usually expanded my abilities. 

Yesterday I climbed a large tree with very shaggy bark.  It was a nice slow climb to the top with careful movements.  Then I took a video at the top of my view.  I would appreciate hearing what people like in these videos, what they don’t, and what other stuff they might like to see in my videos.


Then I went to Basil’s 19th birthday party.  Will and I amongst a house full of college freshmen.  It was actually a really fun party though at times a little strange.  Like when they all freaked out because there was a cop outside the house.  Then at the end of the night Basil left and we had to walk 3 or so miles to get home.  All in all a goon night though.