Encoded Messages is a quilt composed of hand sewn panels of natural latex, each cast directly from the bark of living trees in California landscapes shaped by prolonged drought and intensifying heat. Every casting begins as an act of care rather than extraction. The tree is gently painted, observed, and left intact. Over time, the latex records surface textures and scars, becoming a material witness to environmental stress that often goes unnoticed in everyday life.

In nature, latex is a substance trees produce to seal wounds and protect themselves. Here, it carries that biological role into the gallery, shifting from a functional response into a record of encounter. As the material ages, it slowly changes color, hardens, and begins to break down, echoing the fragility of the ecosystems from which it was formed. The quilt holds these changes openly, allowing degradation to remain visible rather than concealed.

Quilting brings this work into the domestic sphere, a form historically associated with collective labor, repair, and care. By assembling individual castings into a unified surface, the piece reflects how environmental responsibility is cumulative, shaped by many small, repeated gestures. Rather than proposing restoration or resolution, the quilt models attentiveness, restraint, and accountability.

Situated between art and ecological observation, this work invites reflection on what it means to live within a conservation mindset. It asks us to remain in relationship with the places we inhabit, notice signs of stress before collapse, and understand care as an ongoing, embodied practice.