Pillars of Creation, 2024
Pillars of Creation arose out of conversation with the Scholls Valley Lodge about prototyping an artist residency on their property in Oregon. Designed as a sort of solo, contemplative retreat, I did not know what I would make when I arrived. I only knew that I wanted to work with natural building techniques and explore the theme of sacred space.
The final piece was made for a total of $40 from abundant, raw land and recycled materials. The pillars themselves were constructed using recycled timbers from previous construction on the site, and adding cob bricks (mud made from sand, clay and straw, also sourced onsite) to the exterior. The only expense was buying hydrated lime for the lime plaster and lime wash to weatherproof the pillars. The wood chip path was created from trees that were felled and chipped on the property. The sitting platforms at the bottom of each pillar are stumps from 300-year old white oak trees that grew on the property.
Some key learnings from this project include: an appreciation for manual labor, a new understanding of how to build works cheaply, and a deep sense of trust in good ideas showing up right on time.
Some questions I will carry away from this experience include: how simply could I live longterm? What would it take to build my own dwelling? And, what makes a place sacred?