Meg Webster’s Ephemeral ‘Thicket’ at Paula Cooper Gallery

Meg Webster, an 82-year-old environmental artist, has opened her first solo exhibition at Paula Cooper Gallery in Chelsea in a decade. Titled “Thicket” (2026), the show features a spiral installation made of local branches, leaves, and flowers that visitors can walk into, accompanied by a sound artwork “Nearest Virgin Forest” recorded in Hutcheson Memorial Forest, New Jersey. Webster’s practice is characterized by ephemeral, biodegradable works that she destroys after each exhibition, recycling materials back to nature. Her best-known pieces include “Wall of Wax” (1990) and “Moss Bed, King” (1986-88). The exhibition arrives amid growing interest in her work and addresses contemporary alienation from nature, with Webster stating, “I want people to love the planet.” The show includes a sound component and engages with themes of climate change and environmental fear.