Process and Materials

The choice of materials for my installations and sculptures comes out of my love of earthen materials.  I have been using rammed earth for the last ten years to create the walls in pieces like Earth Bound Meteors (pictured  in the top three images).  It is an ancient building process which creates structures that look like adobe.  The process involves mixing soil (or clay) with a small amount of portland cement and packing the mixture into wooden forms. The forms are removed after the mixture sets to expose the earthen walls.  Depending on the ratio of dirt to cement, these forms will erode over time and create beautifully mottled surfaces.Also shown (in the lower images) are the recycled granite curb stones I used to build Mended Circle at the Atlanta University Center. The stone was being removed from the surrounding streets as part of the renovation of public walkways around Clark Atlanta University and Spellman College.  I was able to clean it and use it as part of my sculptural benching area.