Course Between Banks
Potomac clay pigment, gum arabic, creek, water, rocks, leaves, sunlight
November 24, 2020
variable dimensions
In an effort to connect to my surroundings I developed Course Between Banks in which I foraged clay from the banks of the Potomac River, ground it by hand with a mortar and pestle, mulled the pigment with gum arabic to make watercolor paints, and coated this paper with it. I partially submerged the painted paper within a creek near my home in Arlington, VA. Through the use of locally foraged pigments, the paper is left with the residue of geologic time as well as the marks from its prolonged exposure to water. The painting was left in the creek for several hours, altering the course of the cascading water and existed as an unexpected intervention in the landscape for anyone who observed it. The rapidly moving refractions became more visible as the pigment washed away but waned as the sun began to descend, highlighting the passage of time. The painting was laid to rest along the bank for an hour to dry. When the painting was removed there was no indication of its installation at the site and the creek returned to its original course.
