About

Started in 2005, Greenmeme is the continuing vision of artists Freya Bardell and Brian Howe, where a collaborative group of artists, ecologists, architects, scientists and builders come together to create sustainable, ecologically focused work which varies in scale, materiality and context. Through these experimental partnerships, our strategies of representation are in a constant state of research and design. From living walls to interactive installations, our work provides multi-layered experiences of unique urban and natural ecosystems, integrating living, playful sculptures into informative environments.

We're currently working on these projects...

Latest News

Sep.4.2011

Roundabout

Artist's Concept Render

Artist's Concept Render

This artwork is part of the Riverside Dr Bridge Improvement program and will be sited in the first roundabout to built in the City of Los Angeles, in Council District 1. Stone sculptures are cut with faces of individuals from the community, randomly chosen over a period of the next 2 years. The sculptures capture stormwater coming from the bridge and process it through a series of fountains, where it is then filtered, stored and distributed throughout the landscape. Awarded by LADCA and commissioned by The City of Los Angeles, the project is now under construction and is estimated to be open 2014.

Aug.30.2011

Hyperion

Our recent project,    ”Hyperion-Son of Uranus”, is an installation for the new Environmental Learning Center for the Hyperion Wastewater Treatment plant. Processing millions of gallons of waste per day, it is the last stop for all of Los Angeles County’s waste before heading out to the ocean. The infrastructure to process this waste has grown proportionately to development in Los Angeles over the last 100 years and we wanted to create a visual time-stamp of where we were at.

We created a sculpture (named in honor of the greek god which the plant shares his name) that is a visualization of sewer infrastructure in LA county in 2009, the year of our being commissioned. The south facing exterior wall is treated as the entirety of LA County, broken into a grid, proportional to the Thomas Guide grid. Deformation of the surface was determined by pipe dimensions within the wastewater network to determine a new topography for LA, one based on experiencing the invisible infrastructure beneath us which handles our waste.

We proposed reclaimed cal-trans roadsigns as our sculptural medium by which to interpret this grid. Thanks to the generous support of Cal-Trans, District 7, we collected signs from their dumpster for over two years to find the necessary material to laser cut all the parts. Big thanks to the Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs for believing in us. This was our first public art commission and we are grateful for their awarding us this opportunity. Also, big thanks to Ed Henry, Josko Kirigin, the Flix FX crew and everyone else who helped make this happen!

Jun.20.2011

Chantilly Clad

chantillyclad-web2

Chantilly Clad is this summers site for the Long Beach “A Lot” symposium and performances.

Jun.19.2011

A much needed update…

Its been a while…

Thanks for your patience, as over the last year, we have been working on a series of public art projects and are only now getting a chance to share it with you. We have been working in Los Angeles, Long Beach and San Jose on a series of works which address both cultural and environmental awareness, in collaborative, community driven projects. We hope you enjoy the coming updates.

cheers,

Brian, Freya and the greenmeme team

Jun.18.2011

Desert Roof Tile

Photo Credit: Walter Scott Perry

Photo Credit: Walter Scott Perry

Walter Scott Perry of ecotechesign commissioned Greenmeme to construct a 3′ x 3′ desert roof tile for their Desert Prototype hybrid house, a container residence in the Mojave Desert.

Aug.25.2010

LAUSD School Garden Competition Winners

Apr.8.2010

Living Design 2006-2008

When we first came together, we produced a series of living walls, modular gardens and room sized terrariums. Now, thanks to the wonders of our new website (thanks Baoqdoan) …we can share.

Dec.4.2009

Climate Clock: Wired Wilderness

  • Site: San Jose, California
  • Commissioning Agent: City of San Jose, CA, San Jose cultural Affairs,Lead artist: Greenmeme working with Brent Bucknum
  • Medium: TBD
  • Description: Concept: Our ongoing research project, the “Wired Wilderness” has been selected to be one of three artist teams chosen to move forward, with FUSE: collaboration residencies at the Montalvo Center for the Arts in 2009 -2010 to further investigate and develop proposals for the “Climate Clock”.

http://sj-climateclock.org/