When we talk about the environmental impact of the marijuana business, often we’re talking about the diversion of surface water, or the poisoning of ecosystems, or the industrialization of backwoods roads — concepts that most of us, not possessing degrees in biological science or environmental management, can only grasp vaguely. 

But an unnamed grower/performance artist has helped contribute to our understanding of these issues in miniature, with a small yet vivid installation that you can currently experience off the Salmon Creek exit, on the east side of Highway 101. Our anonymous artist has here helpfully placed all the gunk and detritus generated by your modern grow scene.

What do we see here? The largest portion of the piece is comprised of big white plastic jugs that once contained a variety of chemical stews used to juice a plant’s performance. There are perhaps a score of these vessels littered throughout the site, many of them carrying brand names designed to appeal to jacked-up customers: “Bud Candy,” “Overdrive,” “Liquid CarboLoad” …

Chemicals are a big part of the life of your modern grower, but they are not the only part. You also need ventilation and a garden hose, in addition to other mysterious objects whose utility is left as a challenge to the viewer. Is that a refrigerator tray, repurposed as some sort of trimmer’s workstation? Is that a wire mesh screen? For what purpose?

Some grow folks out in the hills loudly flaunt to all and sundry the fact that they, alone, have discovered the true path. (See, for instance, the comment section on any post on this website.) Those thousands of mildewed benjamins buried in the backyard are proof of their sublime wisdom concerning matters of horticulture and capitalism. They are refined, moneyed beings with the typical 1-percenter scorn for the common unwashed laborer. They are the good and the beautiful and the true. We should feel blessed that they share the scraps from their table.

These backwoods Eloi are like run-of-the-mill, white-market moguls in that they believe that critique of their work on this Earth must necessarily be motivated by jealousy — by the fact that they have the good life, and their critics do not.

However, the artist in the present case give the lie to the grower’s cherished self-image. Sure, congrats on blowing up the whole hillside, but you still have comically shit taste in home audio equipment …

… and beer.

I’m not sure how long the current exhibition is scheduled to last, but I am of the opinion that the work has legs. Perhaps we can encase the whole thing in Lucite and put it on permanent display at the Morris Graves.