Monument for the New Frontiers
2014
​~2.5m x ~10m x ~8m
Materials: 1200 screws, 30 lag bolts, sail cloth,
​57 pallets, and recycled wood.
@ Nakasatsunai, Hokkaido, Japan

Contrasting the monuments of tradition, 'Monument for the New Frontiers' references the past while looking to the future and existing for just a moment; a timeline in space, the work causes the viewer’s gaze to start low, in that which is known, and encourages a vertical movement to that which is unknown. 

Where the work stands (the region, Tokachi/Hokkaido) lies a complicated history of an indigenous people, a long process of displacement and contemporary settlement . The materials, aesthetics, as well as layout of the work all speak specifically about this history but also indirectly to the human condition of exploration, displacement and settlement not as a point of judgment, but as a condition which we should be critical about as we move forward. In looking at the work, one must look up towards the sky, the emptiness, the void and the unknown. In doing this they look toward the future, to mistakes and potential, for learning and growth. Monument for the New Frontiers recognizes the past and the present for the purpose of inspiring the curiosity and exploration needed for new endeavours. As ones gaze moves from the ground towards the night sky, they are absorbed in three layers of time: the past which can be viewed in the stars which are shining not as we see them but years ago. The present, the space which our bodies are currently and temporarily occupying. The future, where the posibilities exist, always just out of reach. In our ephemera, we can always find a Monument for the New Frontiers.

Monument for the New Frontiers was produced as part of the Tokachi Artist in Residence programme in Nakasatsunai, Japan during the fall of 2014