THE CHICORY PROJECT
Vitality and magic in philly’s Untended spaces
(work in progress)
“Bloom how you must I say”
“Our indigenous herbalists say to pay attention when plants come to you; they’re bringing you something you need to learn.”
Chicory is a bright blue wildflower that blooms wildly in Philadelphia from June to September, particularly in its untended spaces: grassy lots, medians, construction sites. With origins in North Africa, it was brought to the United States by early European colonizers as livestock feed, where indigenous people adopted it for its anti-inflammatory properties. It’s now widely seen as nothing more than a highway weed.
In folklore, chicory’s magical properties include invisibility, as well as the ability to open locks and overcome intractable problems. Chicory loves to grow in disturbed soil. Each of its delicate blossoms opens for only one day.
Five years ago, I noticed chicory’s blooms on my daily bike ride to North Philadelphia. My neighbor and local herbalist, Ms. Eva Bryant, looked it up for me in Cunningham’s Encyclopedia of Magical Herbs. She said, “This plant sounds like me” — an invisible, magical guardian of her block. We collaborated on a portrait series in which Ms. Eva, a model in her younger days, interpreted the ephemeral spirit of chicory.
Chicory and Ms. Eva showed me that no lot is vacant. Every untended inch of our city is full of plants, insects, and other micro-beings, busily transforming concrete into dirt. And when we look to the nonhuman world that is intertwined with our own, we can find connection and support for our bodies and spirits.
Every spring, my phone fills up with photos from friends sending me their chicory sightings. Chicory’s invitation to notice her also led to an ongoing artistic exploration of species interdependence, belonging, and renewal in Philadelphia.
Projects include:
2018 | North Mountain Residency.
2019 | The Medicine Grows Close: Portraiture, dance, and on-site exhibition at New Pathways Project. In collaboration with New Pathways Project participants, Folami Irvine, and Angel Edwards. Supported by The Velocity Fund.
2020-2023 | Rosine 2.0, The Circlekeepers. Supported by the Pew Center for Arts and Heritage.
Forthcoming | Live And Die Like a Chicory Bloom and Be Reborn in Dreams: A Ritual. Chapbook, spring 2023
“All that you touch
You Change.
All that you Change
Changes you.
The only lasting truth
Is Change.
God
Is Change.”