Copper Ouroboros weaves together the geography, culture, ecology, economics, politics, and history of copper mining in Butte, Montana. The full video is 20:36.
Link to projectI collected sounds from the Ringing Rocks of western Montana—a unique geologic phenomena (there are only three similar locations in the world) where the rocks chime like bells with struck. In nearby Butte, Montana sits the Berkely Pit, a large open-pit mine where copper and other mineral were harvested since the late 19th century. The New Songs for Butte Mining Camp, published in 1917, contains only lyrics and relied heavily upon traditional folk tunes familiar to the miners. The songs were about union solidarity, better pay, and better living and working conditions for the miners. Using the sounds of the Ringing Rocks, I have recreated some of the miners' songs, allowing the sounds of stones being struck to echo the conflicts between the workers, the industrialists, and the environment.
Link to projectAt Kunsthalle Below (KhB), snails and slugs were prominent—carpeting the walkways and greenways. Each day, I would perform a dance as I tiptoed back and forth between buildings to avoid the gastropods, pausing to watch them live their lives at a glacial gait. The slower pace and quietude of the northern Germany countryside had me thinking more about things that had been pushed to the margins by keeping busy. I reflected more on recent passing of my parents.
The music is partly composed of sounds collected from a wire postcard rack in KhB's main building. By gently bowing the wire structure, I could elicit eerie chirps and chimes.
Link to projectThis piece was made this while traveling in Europe during the summer of 2023. My status as a foreigner was continually underscored by my unfamiliarity with the languages and histories of the regions. Some objects were indecipherable without cultural context. I wondered what aliens might make of our museums, or if they would make anything of them. A work of art may be of similar interest as a drinking fountain or light bulb. He noticed another foreigner in the gallery with him—a fly buzzing around and landing capriciously wherever was convenient. It became the subject of this video.
Link to projectThe Misplaced Wall series includes several photographs and video works depicting a colorful collection of brick-patterned boxes that are set up in various locations before being disassembled and moved to other locations. The wall and its placement highlight the ridiculous interventions of fences used to demarcate geo-political borders, and how they interact with their environments. All these walls have fallen or will fall, leaving behind a temporary wound on the landscape before another is erected, to also fall.
Link to project