Brooklyn Botanical Garden Dismantles Treehouse Made by “Celebrity Treehouse Builder”
After Hurricane Sandy ravaged much of the eastern seaboard, artist Roderick Romero was left with ample material to build some of his abstract treehouses. He was given the opportunity to build one of his parceled configurations of wood, rope, twigs and sticks that look absolutely nothing like an actual treehouse at the Brooklyn Botanical Garden in Spring 2013, and he did, assembling something more closely akin to a haphazard dragon’s nest than a place where kids play. Fast forward over a year later, and Romero’s treehouse has been razed by the BBG and the artist is quite unhappy with the sudden turn of events.
The New York Daily News reports that Romero, a bonafide “celebrity treehouse builder,” was “devastated, embarrassed and shocked,” at the sight of his former conceptual treehouse, which was roped off and, for some reason, featured a plaque with the artist’s name on it, in a kind of solemn remembrance of the installation.
Here’s what the treehouse looked like when it served the public at Brooklyn Botanical Gardens:
Like: Sandy ravaged trees used to build this cool tree house art project at Brooklyn Botanical garden #bbgtreehouse pic.twitter.com/XICYl8JOa9
— Michael Gigl (@MichaelGigl) May 5, 2013
Romero claims he was not informed by the BBG that any changes to his project were afoot, and says all terms were final via “a verbal agreement,” he made with garden employees.
Romero has fashioned many a weird, freakish treehouse for the backyards of people who do not need them, such as Julianne Moore, Val Kilmer and Sting, according to the News. On the other hand, much of his work is also very skilled and interesting.
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