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 Construction Materials plaster, acrylic paint, plywood 24" x 24" x 36" 2015  Detail of Construction Materials plaster, acrylic paint, plywood 24" x 24" x 36" 2015  Detail of Construction Materials plaster, acrylic paint, plywood 24" x 24" x 36" 2015  Detail of Construction Materials plaster, acrylic paint, plywood 24" x 24" x 36" 2015  Proposal drawing for Construction Materials pencil on paper 25" x 19" 2015 |
| This sculptural installation was developed for Brick Layers, an exhibit focused on the site of a former prison converted into the Lorton Workhouse Arts Center. The exhibit was curated by Jennie Shanker. A construction waste landfill operates on the grounds near the exhibition space. I wanted to create a piece that drew connections between the art space and the Lorton landfill. Envirosolutions Inc runs the waste treatment site. The company appealed for renewal of its lease in order to continue operations at the waste repository for another 30 years. In this effort Envirosolutions, Inc. offered funds to offset some recent debts incurred by the Workhouse Arts Center. However, public demands have insured that the site will cease landfill operations by 2018. Occasionally landfill sites will rupture, creating a landslide of garbage. Recently there was a landslide at the Chrin Landfill in Easton, PA, close to where I grew up. Another 800,000 tons of waste burst from the ground at the Big Run Landfill in Ashland, KY – a site that is also operated by EnviroSolutions, Inc. Either through too much weight, rain or poor planning, a failure occurs with the mechanism that holds the landfill in place. Massive amounts of garbage will shift and slide down the hill, exposing half-decayed garbage for acres. A black fluid called leachate, a product of the decay, can even spout from cracks in the ground. This piece is made from 25 individual molds of construction materials. Each object is plaster, with acrylic paint. They rest on a plywood stage. A faux hole is painted on the wall in purple and light grey, to simulate as if the object burst through wall. |
