Perhaps because Matta-Clark died young, at the age of 35, in 1978, his ideas seem especially forward-looking. He was working just as broader movements in earth art and environmental consciousness were taking hold. While much of his work is innately critical of government and business (and particularly the way these forces controlled property in New York City) it’s also hopeful. In one “Anarchitecture” photo Matta-Clark highlights the bright slice of sky visible between the two Twin Towers. And in 1971 he excavated a corner of the basement at 112 Greene Street to plant a cherry tree, which he nurtured with infrared light and water. Although the tree only survived for a few months, the action was a conciliatory one. Had he lived, Matta-Clark might have discovered even more powerful ways to reconnect the natural and man-made worlds.