Frank Parga, Hidden Language, 2022, red oak wood and acrylic paint, Richard H. Hungerford School, Staten Island ​

Hidden Language is a site-specific artwork created by Frank Parga for the lobby of the new Richard H. Hungerford School, Staten Island. It was inspired by the tulip trees found in the forest next to the school campus. The work is made of regionally sourced red oak wood panels that were cut, carved and hand-painted to look like a cross-section of a gigantic tree with its annual growth rings highlighted. Newly formed cells create the annual rings that provide information about a tree’s age and the environmental conditions that shaped its life. Each has its own variations in width dependent upon climate and atmospheric conditions among many other details. Thus, the rings are the tree’s “hidden language” revealing a record of its history and life.

Hidden Language was created to be both visually engaging and experiential. The artwork is intended to be experienced by touch where the tree rings are raised higher than the wood base. The piece offers viewers a moment to reflect on how every individual is shaped by their surroundings and interactions and has an opportunity to leave a mark on the people and places they encounter.