Frames of Reference (Tabloids), 2018- present
Rock builds upon rock to create various stratigraphic relationships that characterize the geology of a place. But the building of rock is not a one-time event. The atmospheres and materials that make up "rock" are unique players, orchestrating a conversation over thousands, millions, and in some places, billions, of years. This series of works explores strata, or the banded layers of a material. I pour molten metal into a form, filling the void only partially. After the metal solidifies, I pour more in. Where the molten iron contacts the cooler material below, the metal forms turbulences and shelves, sags and wrinkles. I drop various inclusions between these layers, furthering the illusion of geology. Each of these pieces may take between an hour or a week to pour, but this timeframe fades to noise when compared to the eon-spanning process happening beneath and around us at all times.
To form this latest iteration of the project, I have began to use a two-part cast iron mold I cast for this purpose. The dimensions of the resulting piece are 11" x 17," the standard size of a tabloid print. This size and ratio calls to mind news or text, and broadens the reference to writing.