BRICK WORK
Found bamboo drying basket, local clay, sand, ink, mung beans, used local kiln bricks
100*100*60cm approx installation
Zhanjiang, China | 2016
This piece was inspired by the objects and processes I experienced as part of village life around Zhanjiang. As a former brick production region, there were huge old abandoned brick kilns dotted around the countryside, along with pits where beautiful terracotta clay was still being dug up. Many rural houses were under construction and bricks were piled up outside in stacks of 4, with surrounding fields growing rice and other crops. Flat bamboo baskets were laid out in the sun to dry foods and medicines. The new wealth was bringing money into the area for even more projects, and Zhanjiang has been in a period of rapid expansion for many years. I combined these different elements to create this time-based installation for the Coalescence show, following on from the Sunplot piece. I found that the green from the bean sprouts' leave also reminded me of the green rusting on the antique Chinese coins.