From Susana Plotts-Pineda, Writer:
In late October and early November we were able to visit the gardens in person as well as assist gardeners Doraelia and Alejandro along with their children in the process of taking beds apart in preparation for the winter. Since then we have been able to collect insightful interviews with gardeners and advocacy experts as we undergo the process of creating a narrative out of the varied and multifaceted threads of individual experiences.
Community gardens hold a distinct value in that they are able to bring together folks from all walks of life in the vital act of creating a space in which life can flourish. The specificity of their location and the opportunities they offer for hands-on experience and community building is all the more fundamental in a time where we find ourselves dispersed in an uncertain and increasingly virtual new world.
As my collaborator mentioned, one of the most exciting aspects of this project is that though the gardens are confined within two small lots in central New Brunswick, the different fragments of experience contained within them span vast geographical and historical landscapes. Through the lives of the people that have made these gardens flourish year after year, we can weave a complex physical and emotional map of histories of migration and inter-generational knowledge that stretches from Oaxaca to Sicily. Their stories are bound together through the different ways in which people maintain a connection to the land in the face of changing social realities.
We are very excited about bringing to life the multiple histories and geographies that these two gardens encapsulate. We are also interested in shaping our narrative around how the gardens transform throughout the seasons, and how this accompanies the changing rhythms of the gardeners’ every day lives.
From Dani Ochoa-Bravo, Illustrator:
Our collaboration with coLAB Arts and Unity Square began in early October of 2020, which-- given the reality of the past year-- is a strange time to be embarking on a new job or project. From my perspective, there seemed to be more questions than there was clarity on exactly how we were going to present the final project-- a comic book created through the collecting of oral histories that speak on the experiences of the Landers Garden community in New Brunswick, which is primarily comprised of Latinx immigrant individuals and by extension, their families. A few months in, I feel as though that my initial concerns about what this project would look like, feel like, and whether it would meet the standards everyone on board would hope it did, dissipated as the wonderful community that exists within and outside of the garden have opened up to us and shared their stories.
While certain aspects will not be certain until there is a final “narrative” to illustrate, each interview has moments that feel so wholly visual and tangible to me. From descriptions of fruits native to certain regions in an individual’s homeland to moments in which a specific flower or an object in a home is described. For being a comic book that is supposed to represent small community gardens in New Brunswick, New Jersey, it sure feels boundless and rich in legacies, moments, and historical facts.
The illustration process is informed by both, the interviews and also photographs of the actual gardens. Since social distancing and strict COVID19 precautions are taking place, and our time on site is highly limited, narratives are being turned into visuals through people’s descriptions, image archives, and my imagination.