Students passing by Library West may find themselves stumped by a new public art display constructed from tree parts and installed Sunday.
With the help of his classmates, UF landscape architecture senior Christopher Buccino created the project, named "Homo Sapien V. Destructis: Controlling Nature."
The design consists of sections of lumber that "slice" through two sycamore tree stumps, which represent a destroyed forest.
Buccino said the lumber symbolizes human intervention and disruption of nature. The display will be in place until Earth Day on April 22.
He said he was inspired after he read the book "Last Child in the Woods" by Richard Louv, who attributed today's health and social issues to humans' disconnection with nature.
"This is something I just came up and ran with," Buccino said. "I don't think something of this scale has ever been done before."
Evan Garfield, a sociology junior, said he was confused by the exhibit.
"It looks really sad - like a tree cemetery, like tombstones," Garfield said.
Buccino will hold a question-and-answer session about his project on Tuesday from noon to 1 p.m. on the Plaza of the Americas.
