Water Lot, 2017
Found foam dock floats, tie-down straps, rebar, video loop on iPad
7x8x1 ft
A Water Lot is defined as a lot of ground which is covered by water but which can be reclaimed as usable land or which is otherwise useful or productive (Oxford English Dictionary). Water Lots were a major real estate strategy for the development of the Bay Area coastline in the booming late 19th century.
Using the Bay’s detritus to create an interpretation of a Water Lot reclaimed as a floating island studio, I drifted between the Dumbarton Bridge and the abandoned Dumbarton Rail Bridge while “developing” my plot through improvised construction of a site-responsive sculpture of cement and rebar. With knowledge of the winds and tides that day, I allowed the environmental forces to dictate my course and experience of the material landscape. Following the performance, the raft was displayed at the Stanford Art Gallery with the 30 minute video filmed from on and around the raft playing on loop inside of the raft.
Special thanks to Colin Christy for videography and helping to haul my raft through 100 yards of Bay mud at sunset.