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.
Posted on

DAY 19


DAY 19
04.23.07
TREE 22

I climbed another very convenient tree today. Just as you exit the Loftus House out of the side door by the kitchen there are a few trees. I climbed the closest one to the stairs. Today’s climb felt real good. I felt as though I’m getting more and more sure of my movements. And I’m very in tune with signs of rot and death, sounds of weak limbs, and other subtle clues that help me navigate a safe climb. This tree in particular had a very crumbly bark and countless woodpecker holes. So I had to be careful not to put too much weight out on the branches. But even as these branches swayed in the wind, I felt comfortable.

4-23-08:  Hey!  I don’t think I have any criticism of my entry today.  But that tree does play an important roll in future installations of mine.  I won’t ruin the surprise though.  All I’ll say is that thousands of Louisville residents may recognize that tree.  (but I doubt that… really.)

I want to give a big shout out to my dad, he’s 60 today!  HUZZA HUZZA!!!

And of course, a video.  Only I am quite upset about it.  I filmed it normal speed, it was going well and I was really excited because a limb broke under me and I thought, “Yes! I got that on video!”  You guys were finally going to be able to see what I do when a branch breaks.  But my camera ran out of memory and didn’t actually get that moment.  So then this video becomes an incomplete boring depiction of me climbing up some little trees.  Maybe, someday in the future, I’ll capture another entertaining mistake.