Front Cover: Simpatico: vitae actus est conpensationem, by Allison S. Walker
Artist’s Statement: Cairns are man-made stacks of stones, and throughout early human history they were used for ceremonial purposes, trail markings, and burial monuments. Cairns today often function as navigational guides on trails throughout the world, sometimes indicating a path, a potential danger ahead, or an important junction. Cairns are maintained through a cooperative effort, with hikers adding a rock to the top of the cairn as they pass by to mark their presence and counteract the effects of time and erosion. Cairns can also be a form of artistic expression, as in the rock stack photographed here on Boulder Creek. The forces of gravity and counterbalance achieve a remarkable creative feat, situated midstream, and left behind by the unknown artist. This balancing act mirrors the one we all achieve through patient daily practice, navigating the treacherous and beautiful boundary between community and academy. We mark the path forward, each of us playing a role in the precarious balance of our collective efforts. We have reached this moment of mutualism, a partnership simpatico, and in order to sustain that relationship, we must apply a creative building technique that is both emplaced and ephemeral, guiding others to see the possibility in the impossible, pushing the boundaries of existing structures to perform feats of innovation and inspiration.
View Full Resolution
Back Cover: Simpatico: vitae actus est conpensationem, by Allison S. Walker
Artist’s Statement: Cairns are man-made stacks of stones, and throughout early human history they were used for ceremonial purposes, trail markings, and burial monuments. Cairns today often function as navigational guides on trails throughout the world, sometimes indicating a path, a potential danger ahead, or an important junction. Cairns are maintained through a cooperative effort, with hikers adding a rock to the top of the cairn as they pass by to mark their presence and counteract the effects of time and erosion. Cairns can also be a form of artistic expression, as in the rock stack photographed here on Boulder Creek. The forces of gravity and counterbalance achieve a remarkable creative feat, situated midstream, and left behind by the unknown artist. This balancing act mirrors the one we all achieve through patient daily practice, navigating the treacherous and beautiful boundary between community and academy. We mark the path forward, each of us playing a role in the precarious balance of our collective efforts. We have reached this moment of mutualism, a partnership simpatico, and in order to sustain that relationship, we must apply a creative building technique that is both emplaced and ephemeral, guiding others to see the possibility in the impossible, pushing the boundaries of existing structures to perform feats of innovation and inspiration.
