Earth Room
The Earth Room investigates my interest in the history of facades. This juxtaposition of two specific architectural styles is both deliberate and temporary. Rammed earth is a simple architectural construction technique. It is unique in its ability to be both structural and supple. I am using this material to mark the space in a variety of ways. From the exterior of the room the form and the surface seem anonymous. In contrast, the interior of the room has the familiar and identifiable characteristics of pressed tin wall coverings from the late nineteenth century. This performance-based installation deals with transformation. The softness of the rammed earth allows the room to change subtly with a simple hand gesture. The room is altered by removing the pressed tin pattern and returning it to a structure that is nonspecific. The removal of the pattern with my hand leaves a smooth surface and dust on the floor. The viewer then creates another system of marking by moving through the space and leaving imprints in that dust.
