EXPERIMENT 6 | “Entropic bootlegging . dialectics of entropic change”
inspired by Smithson’s essays
inspired by Smithson’s essays
Limestone Fragmentation and Human Agency
Experiment 6 - Dan Arseneau
4/4/2014 (Edit: 4/6/2014) (Video documentation of process below)
Observations:
While walking through and around the quarry on April 3rd I noticed similar patterns in the fragmentation of rocks in the woods on the ridge to the north of the quarry and on the ground plane in the eastern end of the quarry. While the condition within the quarry is visually distinct from that on the outside there is a definite connection between the materials and the process of fragmentation. Considered holistically the two areas seem to represent two different phases in the life cycle of the rock, or perhaps the same phase when the cycle is experienced at different speeds.
The difference between the two lies in the level of human agency they have been exposed to. While the rocks on the ridge have been walked on and climbed over those in the pit have been exposed to stresses far beyond those found in nature or applied by humans with hand tools.
Experiment 6 - Dan Arseneau
4/4/2014 (Edit: 4/6/2014) (Video documentation of process below)
Observations:
While walking through and around the quarry on April 3rd I noticed similar patterns in the fragmentation of rocks in the woods on the ridge to the north of the quarry and on the ground plane in the eastern end of the quarry. While the condition within the quarry is visually distinct from that on the outside there is a definite connection between the materials and the process of fragmentation. Considered holistically the two areas seem to represent two different phases in the life cycle of the rock, or perhaps the same phase when the cycle is experienced at different speeds.
The difference between the two lies in the level of human agency they have been exposed to. While the rocks on the ridge have been walked on and climbed over those in the pit have been exposed to stresses far beyond those found in nature or applied by humans with hand tools.
Influences:
The things that I'm thinking about while trying to make sense of the character and condition of the quarry and how it can be communicated.
-
·
The comparison of two places that have been
exposed to different processes. How they have diverged through outside agency
and how their characteristics continue to tie them to each other.
- The process of knowing a material. To paraphrase Andy Goldsworthy: Every time I build with the stone I get a little bit higher because I know and understand it a little bit more.
- The timing and intensity of the process inside and outside of the quarry. What is the dialogue between the two?
- Jon Piasecki, Stone River. Human agency elevates the material. The necessity of time and knowledge to create something that is beautiful and connected to its surroundings.
Installation:
By arranging pieces of rock that have already been separated as an extension of those still a part of the bedrock I will roughly imitate the formal qualities of the rock on the ridge on the floor of the quarry. The duplication of forms will draw connections between the two locations, identifying the quarry as a part of the surrounding landscape. Albeit one that was heavily influenced by the agency of man. The purpose is not so much to emulate the natural condition but to explore the potential of the condition altered by human agency.
Tools:
1. Hammer
2. Chisel
3. Wagon/Wheelbarrow/Sled
4. Brush/Broom
no tools were used in construction of the final product
Materials:
Stone (Either lose pieces or enlarging cracks in larger masses)
Video Documentation:
April 6 (1)
April 6 (2)
April 6 (3)
April 6 (4)
April 6 (5)
April 6 (6)
April 6 (7)
April 6 (8)
April 7 (1)
April 9 (1)
April 9 (2)
April 11 (1)
April 14 (1)
April 14 (2)
April 16 (1)
April 16 (2)
April 16 (3)
April 18 (1)
April 18 (2)
April 19 (1)
April 19 (2)
By arranging pieces of rock that have already been separated as an extension of those still a part of the bedrock I will roughly imitate the formal qualities of the rock on the ridge on the floor of the quarry. The duplication of forms will draw connections between the two locations, identifying the quarry as a part of the surrounding landscape. Albeit one that was heavily influenced by the agency of man. The purpose is not so much to emulate the natural condition but to explore the potential of the condition altered by human agency.
Tools:
1. Hammer
2. Chisel
3. Wagon/Wheelbarrow/Sled
4. Brush/Broom
no tools were used in construction of the final product
Materials:
Stone (Either lose pieces or enlarging cracks in larger masses)
Video Documentation:
April 6 (1)
April 6 (2)
April 6 (3)
April 6 (4)
April 6 (5)
April 6 (6)
April 6 (7)
April 6 (8)
April 7 (1)
April 9 (1)
April 9 (2)
April 11 (1)
April 14 (1)
April 14 (2)
April 16 (1)
April 16 (2)
April 16 (3)
April 18 (1)
April 18 (2)
April 19 (1)
April 19 (2)
BRYOPHILIA l Jin Huang
April 6, 2014
Experiment 6
Project Narrative
Moss are bryophytes that do not possess true vascular tissue and obtain their nutrients through their leaves; as a result, they tend to be pioneer species in otherwise inhospitable environments. They are soil conditioners and are keystone species that allow for more complex ecologies. Their role is in stark contrast to the human agency that previously sculpted this landscape.
Bryophilia is an ephemeral installation that brings attention to the unsung heroes of disturbed ecologies. While the overall form of the installation will be determined through experimentation and material familiarization, some constants will remain (stone, detritus, moss). Moss localizes the flow of nutrients and energy sourced from detritus while the stones provide the structural framework for this micro-ecology.The location of the installation will be sited in careful consideration of drainage & shade patterns to promote its longevity. While the quarry is a result of anthropogenic forces imposed onto a landscape, Bryphilia offers a narrative of re-wilding and mending.
Tools:
Gloves
Spade
Chisel
Wheelbarrow
Materials:
Moss: lowland, shade moss & upload partial sun moss
Detritus: sourced from surrounding woodlands
Stones: sourced from quarry
Influences
"Everything has the energy of its making inside it." - Andy Goldsworthy
April 6, 2014
Experiment 6
Project Narrative
Moss are bryophytes that do not possess true vascular tissue and obtain their nutrients through their leaves; as a result, they tend to be pioneer species in otherwise inhospitable environments. They are soil conditioners and are keystone species that allow for more complex ecologies. Their role is in stark contrast to the human agency that previously sculpted this landscape.
Bryophilia is an ephemeral installation that brings attention to the unsung heroes of disturbed ecologies. While the overall form of the installation will be determined through experimentation and material familiarization, some constants will remain (stone, detritus, moss). Moss localizes the flow of nutrients and energy sourced from detritus while the stones provide the structural framework for this micro-ecology.The location of the installation will be sited in careful consideration of drainage & shade patterns to promote its longevity. While the quarry is a result of anthropogenic forces imposed onto a landscape, Bryphilia offers a narrative of re-wilding and mending.
Tools:
Gloves
Spade
Chisel
Wheelbarrow
Materials:
Moss: lowland, shade moss & upload partial sun moss
Detritus: sourced from surrounding woodlands
Stones: sourced from quarry
Influences
"Everything has the energy of its making inside it." - Andy Goldsworthy
ENTROPIC IMMERSION | joshua thayer
April 7, 2014
Project 6
Narrative
The quarry was once a place of material source. Although the company is still active, this particular site is no longer active. It has become another forgotten/abandoned land which shows scars of it's purpose to man. Smithson took a very long winded approach of stating his obsession with entropy in nature. To sum his view up in my own words, Entropy is the inevitable breakdown and transformation of present matter. (Example. Things exist as they stand until disturbed. Whether that thing is a stone or a bird, eventually some force will change the present state of it's current existence.) Entropy to me is the fact that nothing remains as is. Natural processes rule everything, and this is beyond our abilities to seize although we often accelerate the process.
Smithson repeated a few times in his essay that the pieces cannot be put back together once displaced. He was speaking mostly in reference to things that have been altered as a result of human manipulation in order to serve another purpose. Back to the quarry; this property exists in it's current state because the land/matter was reallocated elsewhere. The stone, mostly crushed gravel, was relocated to provide structure in other parts of the region. This cannot be put back together, but this is not necessarily a bad thing. A new place was birthed by this process. The retired quarry has become a place for the people. A place that the people are taking back.
Interpreting Smithson's essay the way my brain operates, I have decided to bend the rules a bit. The project brief asks us to make an installation of sorts that relates to the topic of entropy as well as the context of the quarry. Instead, I want to become part of the entropy. Part of the inevitable alteration of the current mass. Using earthen material, I will literally leave my mark on this space and record how it changes over time. I am going to make a self portrait on the ground plane of the quarry floor and record it's entropic fate over the coming years.
Tools
Hammer
Chisel
Hand Saw
Tarp
Materials
(Found on site)
Earth
Stone
Vegetation
Waste
Inspiration 1
This is an 11 acre installation in Belfast, Ireland by Cuban-American artist Jorge Rodriguez-Gerada. The project took months of GPS mapping combined with over 30,000 stakes in the ground to complete. The piece took it's final form with the aid of volunteers, over 8 million pound of earthen material, and span nearly a month using machinery.
Obviously, I do not have the same resources. I will attempt a similar product at a much smaller scale in the quarry using what is available. I want to become a part of the processes in the quarry.
April 7, 2014
Project 6
Narrative
The quarry was once a place of material source. Although the company is still active, this particular site is no longer active. It has become another forgotten/abandoned land which shows scars of it's purpose to man. Smithson took a very long winded approach of stating his obsession with entropy in nature. To sum his view up in my own words, Entropy is the inevitable breakdown and transformation of present matter. (Example. Things exist as they stand until disturbed. Whether that thing is a stone or a bird, eventually some force will change the present state of it's current existence.) Entropy to me is the fact that nothing remains as is. Natural processes rule everything, and this is beyond our abilities to seize although we often accelerate the process.
Smithson repeated a few times in his essay that the pieces cannot be put back together once displaced. He was speaking mostly in reference to things that have been altered as a result of human manipulation in order to serve another purpose. Back to the quarry; this property exists in it's current state because the land/matter was reallocated elsewhere. The stone, mostly crushed gravel, was relocated to provide structure in other parts of the region. This cannot be put back together, but this is not necessarily a bad thing. A new place was birthed by this process. The retired quarry has become a place for the people. A place that the people are taking back.
Interpreting Smithson's essay the way my brain operates, I have decided to bend the rules a bit. The project brief asks us to make an installation of sorts that relates to the topic of entropy as well as the context of the quarry. Instead, I want to become part of the entropy. Part of the inevitable alteration of the current mass. Using earthen material, I will literally leave my mark on this space and record how it changes over time. I am going to make a self portrait on the ground plane of the quarry floor and record it's entropic fate over the coming years.
Tools
Hammer
Chisel
Hand Saw
Tarp
Materials
(Found on site)
Earth
Stone
Vegetation
Waste
Inspiration 1
This is an 11 acre installation in Belfast, Ireland by Cuban-American artist Jorge Rodriguez-Gerada. The project took months of GPS mapping combined with over 30,000 stakes in the ground to complete. The piece took it's final form with the aid of volunteers, over 8 million pound of earthen material, and span nearly a month using machinery.
Obviously, I do not have the same resources. I will attempt a similar product at a much smaller scale in the quarry using what is available. I want to become a part of the processes in the quarry.
Inspiration 2
Vik Muniz's work with found objects. His "Wasteland" project was dedicated to people who pick through the landfills in Brazil for recyclables. This is how these people make a living. With their assistance, and his creative process, they created magnificent portraits of the people he worked with from waste.
Vik Muniz's work with found objects. His "Wasteland" project was dedicated to people who pick through the landfills in Brazil for recyclables. This is how these people make a living. With their assistance, and his creative process, they created magnificent portraits of the people he worked with from waste.
The Plan
Pardon the color. This is the photo/grid system that I am going to use to create my piece from a photo. I wanted the background to be very contrasting to avoid confusion when searching for different tones. Oh, The iPhone will not make the final piece. I don't plan on advertising unless I will be well paid.
Pardon the color. This is the photo/grid system that I am going to use to create my piece from a photo. I wanted the background to be very contrasting to avoid confusion when searching for different tones. Oh, The iPhone will not make the final piece. I don't plan on advertising unless I will be well paid.
EXPERIMENT 6 | Armageddon
Andy Kiselica
While walking through the quarry for the first time, I caught myself looking around wondering why I had never been there before. It was a very interesting and exciting place to be in and it seems that I had chosen what felt like the perfect time to be there.
Late in the evening as the clouds were beginning to break with the sunset, everything started to give off a burning light. Throughout the vast openness and disturbed cliffs of this could be post-apocalyptic landscape I began imagining a series of fires along the cliffs at different sizes and locations to amplify the red-orange tint I was already surrounded by.
My goal is to realize this idea and create a series of fire pits by using the broken rocks and scrap metal found in the quarry. There will be a series of smaller pits along the cliff walls with one larger pit in the lower central pit of the quarry. The final product is intended to be viewed by a specified viewpoint which stands above the center fire pit.
Materials:
Stone on site
Scrap metal
Fallen trees
Tools:
Hammer
Propane Torch
Vice grips / Pliers
Wire cutters
Andy Kiselica
While walking through the quarry for the first time, I caught myself looking around wondering why I had never been there before. It was a very interesting and exciting place to be in and it seems that I had chosen what felt like the perfect time to be there.
Late in the evening as the clouds were beginning to break with the sunset, everything started to give off a burning light. Throughout the vast openness and disturbed cliffs of this could be post-apocalyptic landscape I began imagining a series of fires along the cliffs at different sizes and locations to amplify the red-orange tint I was already surrounded by.
My goal is to realize this idea and create a series of fire pits by using the broken rocks and scrap metal found in the quarry. There will be a series of smaller pits along the cliff walls with one larger pit in the lower central pit of the quarry. The final product is intended to be viewed by a specified viewpoint which stands above the center fire pit.
Materials:
Stone on site
Scrap metal
Fallen trees
Tools:
Hammer
Propane Torch
Vice grips / Pliers
Wire cutters
EXPERIMENT 6 | “Entropic bootlegging . dialectics of entropic change”
Rose Helmer
After taking a couple days to walk around the quarry, I noticed that there are many different visual characteristics of the quarry. There are multiple piles of rocks, cliffs, old buildings, berms, and Cedar-filled pathways.
The idea that came to mind was to create a line through the landscape using on-site materials that showcases multiple views one might get while visiting the quarry. There will be a marker or element in the line that will convey when a person should stop and view the area they are looking towards.
My hopes was that the line would be able to extend through all the different visual parts of the quarry so a visitor could follow it and walk through an experience that I create, however, due to time, the line cannot extend that far.
In response to the amount of time given I have decided to construct my line so that it leads up to a final viewpoint that looks out onto the whole quarry. The path of the line goes in such a way that if someone follows only the line, they will not be exposed to a whole view of the quarry until the final viewpoint.
Materials:
Stone on site
Tools:
Outdoor Cart
The idea that came to mind was to create a line through the landscape using on-site materials that showcases multiple views one might get while visiting the quarry. There will be a marker or element in the line that will convey when a person should stop and view the area they are looking towards.
My hopes was that the line would be able to extend through all the different visual parts of the quarry so a visitor could follow it and walk through an experience that I create, however, due to time, the line cannot extend that far.
In response to the amount of time given I have decided to construct my line so that it leads up to a final viewpoint that looks out onto the whole quarry. The path of the line goes in such a way that if someone follows only the line, they will not be exposed to a whole view of the quarry until the final viewpoint.
Materials:
Stone on site
Tools:
Outdoor Cart
EXPERIMENT 6 | Give and Take
Emma Oakes
One of the big observations I made at the quarry this past week was the abundance of differing textures. Texture and material are what make a place unique. With this project I want to highlight them, showcasing them in a new light. (Images coming soon...)
This ephemeral project talks about the relationship between people and place; the idea that when one goes to a place, they effect and bring change there, while taking away something physical, or mind-altering for themselves (perhaps without even knowing it). My goal is to document traces of this relationship after it has happened. This involves a base documentation of the textures and characteristics of the site in order to gather a basic understanding of the place. From there, I can explore and document the evidences of humans on site surfaces.
I will represent the relationship between people and place through printmaking. Perhaps I find a footprint on the ground. I will paint over the footprint with a paintbrush, take a picture of the pre-canvas footprint, rub a piece of canvas over the painted area, and then take a picture of the post-canvas footprint. This will create a series of three pieces per print: pre-canvas image, the print, post-canvas image. By bringing paint to the site as my tool, I can more boldly express the give and take relationship. I take the print that does not fully replicate the site itself, and I leave a mark behind by doing so.
Does that make sense?
Materials:
Found textures
Dominant site textures
Evidence of human presence on site surfaces
Tools:
Canvas (cut to pre-determined size)
Paint (non-toxic, semi-permanent, yellow or blue-- responding to current site color palette so it is bright, but not invasive or threatening, like red might be)
Brush
Camera
Timeline:
5 days
20 prints/40 images per day
Total: 100 prints/200 images
Emma Oakes
One of the big observations I made at the quarry this past week was the abundance of differing textures. Texture and material are what make a place unique. With this project I want to highlight them, showcasing them in a new light. (Images coming soon...)
This ephemeral project talks about the relationship between people and place; the idea that when one goes to a place, they effect and bring change there, while taking away something physical, or mind-altering for themselves (perhaps without even knowing it). My goal is to document traces of this relationship after it has happened. This involves a base documentation of the textures and characteristics of the site in order to gather a basic understanding of the place. From there, I can explore and document the evidences of humans on site surfaces.
I will represent the relationship between people and place through printmaking. Perhaps I find a footprint on the ground. I will paint over the footprint with a paintbrush, take a picture of the pre-canvas footprint, rub a piece of canvas over the painted area, and then take a picture of the post-canvas footprint. This will create a series of three pieces per print: pre-canvas image, the print, post-canvas image. By bringing paint to the site as my tool, I can more boldly express the give and take relationship. I take the print that does not fully replicate the site itself, and I leave a mark behind by doing so.
Does that make sense?
Materials:
Found textures
Dominant site textures
Evidence of human presence on site surfaces
Tools:
Canvas (cut to pre-determined size)
Paint (non-toxic, semi-permanent, yellow or blue-- responding to current site color palette so it is bright, but not invasive or threatening, like red might be)
Brush
Camera
Timeline:
5 days
20 prints/40 images per day
Total: 100 prints/200 images
Experiment 6|Every Stone Has A Home
Kyle Buser
When thinking about possible projects to install in the quarry I immediately thought about the art of Andy Goldsworthy. He too would use minimal tools and worked with materials that he found in that particular environment. For example the stonewall at the Storm King Art Center in New York, meanders through the grounds, reminiscent of the surrounding field stone walls that once were the boundaries of farmers fields.
Stone of all sizes dominates the quarry landscape. This becomes the primary material to work with. Secondary materials at the site include left over industrial debris, and reemerging plant communities.
The site location is relatively isolated in that you can’t drive into the area, and it is tucked back behind the South Campus Apartments for Syracuse University. Because of its proximity to the campus and it relative privacy, the site becomes a sort of escape where activities ranging from recreation and hikes, to graffiti art. Along one of the walls of the quarry is a fire pit, where a few larger boulders, tree trunks, and quarry artifacts had been arranged.
In order to enhance the purpose of this site I will build a more formal seating arrangement using the surrounding quarry stone. Two large square pillars will be built to a height of about 3 ½ feet. Spanning the two pillars will be wooden planks, or a tree trunk, that will create a bench for people to enjoy the fires. Also the tops of the pillars could be used as tables or for seating. Also the stones around the fire pit will be re stacked and made more sturdy.
Tools:
Bricklaying Hammer
Mini Sledge
Flat Head Shovel
String
Wheelbarrow
Material:
Quarry Stone
Quarry Artifacts(wood planks or
The below photos show first a project I had done at The Buser Estate. I enjoy working with stone, and is a skill and craft that I can translate into the quarry. The second photo is of Andy Goldsworthy's stone wall at the Storm King Art Center, it is my inspiration. The photo was taken by angelfire.com
Kyle Buser
When thinking about possible projects to install in the quarry I immediately thought about the art of Andy Goldsworthy. He too would use minimal tools and worked with materials that he found in that particular environment. For example the stonewall at the Storm King Art Center in New York, meanders through the grounds, reminiscent of the surrounding field stone walls that once were the boundaries of farmers fields.
Stone of all sizes dominates the quarry landscape. This becomes the primary material to work with. Secondary materials at the site include left over industrial debris, and reemerging plant communities.
The site location is relatively isolated in that you can’t drive into the area, and it is tucked back behind the South Campus Apartments for Syracuse University. Because of its proximity to the campus and it relative privacy, the site becomes a sort of escape where activities ranging from recreation and hikes, to graffiti art. Along one of the walls of the quarry is a fire pit, where a few larger boulders, tree trunks, and quarry artifacts had been arranged.
In order to enhance the purpose of this site I will build a more formal seating arrangement using the surrounding quarry stone. Two large square pillars will be built to a height of about 3 ½ feet. Spanning the two pillars will be wooden planks, or a tree trunk, that will create a bench for people to enjoy the fires. Also the tops of the pillars could be used as tables or for seating. Also the stones around the fire pit will be re stacked and made more sturdy.
Tools:
Bricklaying Hammer
Mini Sledge
Flat Head Shovel
String
Wheelbarrow
Material:
Quarry Stone
Quarry Artifacts(wood planks or
The below photos show first a project I had done at The Buser Estate. I enjoy working with stone, and is a skill and craft that I can translate into the quarry. The second photo is of Andy Goldsworthy's stone wall at the Storm King Art Center, it is my inspiration. The photo was taken by angelfire.com
Experiment 6|Filling the Void
James Gross
Looking out into the quarry, I was overwhelmed by the vastness of empty space, the void that was created the time the quarry was operational. It is hard to grasp the sheer volume of stone that was removed from the site, almost so that you briefly forget that the form is a result of human alteration. If the removal of stone was the process used to create the quarry, Filling the Void is created by its inverse process: the addition of stone. This sculpture seeks to remind viewers of the processes that have shaped and molded the site by representing the sites antithesis.
Tools:
Sledge
Wheelbarrow
Material:
Quarry Stone
James Gross
Looking out into the quarry, I was overwhelmed by the vastness of empty space, the void that was created the time the quarry was operational. It is hard to grasp the sheer volume of stone that was removed from the site, almost so that you briefly forget that the form is a result of human alteration. If the removal of stone was the process used to create the quarry, Filling the Void is created by its inverse process: the addition of stone. This sculpture seeks to remind viewers of the processes that have shaped and molded the site by representing the sites antithesis.
Tools:
Sledge
Wheelbarrow
Material:
Quarry Stone
Inspirations:
Michael Heizers work with negative spaces. Especially "Displaced, Replaced Mass"(1969)
Jean Ruelle who filled termite nests with concrete to reveal their forms.
All stone work of Andy Goldsworthy
Michael Heizers work with negative spaces. Especially "Displaced, Replaced Mass"(1969)
Jean Ruelle who filled termite nests with concrete to reveal their forms.
All stone work of Andy Goldsworthy
SCORCH
Nick Imperial
PROPOSAL
A series of sculptures of wood and stone which, when burned, leave a lasting impression on the landscape. This impression must speak of the destructive process, while remaining abstract enough for future interpretation.
CONCEPT
The Quarry is a site of great acts of destruction which, while relatively short-lived, have left a lasting impression on the landscape. Since mining operations ceased, users have been left to interpret the site’s past with only the evidence that remains of the preceding industry.
My proposed intervention addresses this dynamic in 2 phases. First, rapid entropy through burning, followed by a prolonged state of entropy, during which the aftermath of the destructive act settles into the landscape, becoming the new reality.
PROCESS
Sculptures must be built. Their forms will respond to their immediate surroundings. Wood will be used as a structural element to ellicit the greatest destructive reaction. Heavy stone will be held aloft to maximize the potential energy in each structure.
Fires must be started. Ingnition will occur simultaneously. Gasoline may be employed. Sculptures must include sufficient inflammable material to produce a sustained blaze.
TOOLS
1. Propane torch, or gasoline
2. Saw
3. 3lb hammer
4. Stone chisel
5. Twine
Nick Imperial
PROPOSAL
A series of sculptures of wood and stone which, when burned, leave a lasting impression on the landscape. This impression must speak of the destructive process, while remaining abstract enough for future interpretation.
CONCEPT
The Quarry is a site of great acts of destruction which, while relatively short-lived, have left a lasting impression on the landscape. Since mining operations ceased, users have been left to interpret the site’s past with only the evidence that remains of the preceding industry.
My proposed intervention addresses this dynamic in 2 phases. First, rapid entropy through burning, followed by a prolonged state of entropy, during which the aftermath of the destructive act settles into the landscape, becoming the new reality.
PROCESS
Sculptures must be built. Their forms will respond to their immediate surroundings. Wood will be used as a structural element to ellicit the greatest destructive reaction. Heavy stone will be held aloft to maximize the potential energy in each structure.
Fires must be started. Ingnition will occur simultaneously. Gasoline may be employed. Sculptures must include sufficient inflammable material to produce a sustained blaze.
TOOLS
1. Propane torch, or gasoline
2. Saw
3. 3lb hammer
4. Stone chisel
5. Twine