Assorted Works
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Biotic Diffuser
- Chronotopes
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Paper A+Airplanes
- Tending Chaos
- Public Condenser
- New Appalachian Rail
- [In]Tangible
- Placa de Glories
- Toll Creek Nursery
- Paperwork
Info
4. Tending Chaos
2024, University of Tennessee
Professor Scottie McDaniel
Individual Work
Bordered and borderless, a place where nobody goes. The Clearfork Valley is a victim of state policy and the county line. This is a remote place. But remoteness, similar to isolation, is a relative term. Historian and author Steven Stoll writes about Appalachians stating “They were never poor until they lost the forest, their economical base.” To feel isolated is to be out of your area of comfort. Remoteness should not be viewed as a setback, but as a strength. It is a way of existing that may not come easy to understand, but is worth protecting. Areas like the Clearfork Valley have become incresingly popular among ATV joy-riding communities. While ATV culture is not going anywhere, they should not be allowed to invade a community because of state and national organizations that are not paying attention. The Clearfork Valley has value tied to their relationship with the forest. Outsiders have exploited these people and their land, yet the local community persists. By implementing the suggested tactics, the locals can simultaneously hold their ground against the larger forces at play and reinforce their connection to the forest and their access to it.