The Propagation Project

These images and videos are from an ongoing series called “The Propagation Project”. The purpose of the project is not in the art making but in the event, the ritual and subsequent changes that I hope to initiate. It is in response to my personal feeling of disconnection, or rather a lack of a connection to the places I have called home, that I have traveled to, or are otherwise important to me.

The ritual begins…with my face, molded and cast in iron through the lost wax process. The iron face, my effigy, is an offering of myself to the Earth in hopes that through its slow erosion and ultimate re-integration into the ecosystem, that I will gain a stronger and enduring connection to these locations. These faces are taken to the areas I wish to connect with, photographed in the environment, and then thrown into lakes, reservoirs, seas, etc. and left behind. As the water oxidizes the iron it will wash into the water and soil, nourishing the fish and plant life and eventually dissipating completely into the Earth.  Because of the way that the iron breaks down and becomes completely integrated into the immediate area, this work becomes permanent and can never be removed.  Through this process, I hope to retain a permanent personal connection to these areas.

Videos were created to document these events, created from dozens of still images captured using the camera’s built-in burst mode.  Although the camera now used can record video, I have decided to continue this method of video making.  I feel that the fleeting and slightly anxious nature of these pieces reflects the feelings I encounter during the actual events.

I will continue this project as long as I am able to and this page will be updated accordingly after subsequent placements.

#1 – Ballyvaughan Bay – County Clare, Ireland

 
#2 – Upper Lake Mary – Arizona

#3 – Lake Pleasant – Arizona

#4 – Cherry Creek Reservoir – Colorado

#5 – Chatfield Reservoir – Colorado

#6 – Castaic Lake – California

#7 – Evergreen Lake – Colorado

#8 – Lake Michigan – Illinois

#9 – Puget Sound – Washington

#10 – Willamette River – Oregon

#11 – Ridgeway Reservoir – Colorado

#12 – Walker River – Nevada

#13 – Pacific Ocean – between Long Beach and Catalina Island – California

#14 – Little Lake Butte Des Morts – Wisconsin