Retaining wall construction 10 14 2011

Progress at site shows the development of a retaining wall on the west side of the site. Earlier experiment at building met with some structural breakdowns as I attempted to place sheets of compressed mud as retaining wall face. The weight of the fill dirt soon forced the collapse of the wall. I have been experimenting with forms of adobe and wattle and daub techniques. I am drawn to methods that have a deeper historical print.I am especially drawn to construction methods areas of Mesopotamian and ancient Latin American civilzations. There is a greater mystery, an attachment to the root of the past that I find intriguing.

I am in the process of creating ruins. A place that appears to have been abandoned, stumbled upon in a state of degradation.It is not the Yucatan peninsula or the Valley of the Dead, but it has all the properties of being formally inhabited.The evcavations, crumbling walls, decomposing berms, exposed root systems and rusted drainage are evidence of a deliberate attempt to alter the nature. But to what purpose? What is the significance of the walls, the north facing berms, the concrete foundations on earthen pedestals, the deep trenches? I am sure it is the same sensation that coursed through the blood of the explorers that feel upon the ruins of Palenque.One finds themself at the threshold of a riot of play.

variation #1

Dig Progress 8 23 2011

july 26-28

Looking north, the foreground shows the complexity of digging around piers and extended exposure of roots. At this point, traversing the site takes considerable more concentration than previous depictions due to the uneven topography created by digging around and into the tree's root system.

Traveling through the site has become an action of the past, a memory. Entering the site now entails processing the lay of the land and developing a strategy for a series of interactions.

July 19 2011

Facing south(north pier to immediate right), view of root system and exposure of other piers.

b/w animation of elevation at dig as of 7192011

short animation taken from 5 photos of Paul at the site showing the level of ascension.

Raw footage_Paul_ 7 17 2011

Paul is a regular to this spot. He and his brother have grown up in the neighborhood. He sees this place in some regards as a birthright. They both played in this area as children and continue to use this shared space that I now inhabit with them. He has very strong opinions about the site and the dig. The dig as communicative tool is evident in that as a shareholder in the public space I must listen to a multiple set of voices. Paul, William, local dog walkers Pat and Lorraine are a few of the human voices that regard this space very differently from my approach, so I am aware to heed their advice...but they are not the only voices I collaborate with.