Fire!

So, did I mention that I have a museum exhibit in January 2013? Well, I do and I am so excited and terrified by the whole thing.

Do you remember the baskets in the tub I posted months ago? Well this is a continuation of that idea. What would happen if I burned hundreds of baskets and wove them together to create a wall mounted installation? Nothing left to do but test it out.

So, after running the logistics of the idea past a few people, we decided it would be best to get some hot coals in a barrel to catch them,  then soak them in water to make sure all heat was completely extinguished. My Dad and Zach pulled through on this project, mostly for safety and I'm sure the excitement of working with fire. My parents graciously agreed to let us experiment in their backyard.

The trusty wire coat hanger made the entire process safer and easier to manage.

Thanks to Mom's mop bucket, no chance of anything re-igniting.

So, this is what I'm working with, and I absolutely love it. The baskets came out lovelier than I could imagine, they are now transformed. Thankfully our Portland home has a fire pit so we can continue this project safely. Why baskets? Well, first, there are literally tons of them that end up in thrift stores and inevitably the dump so why not use that resource for something creative, and second, they have a rich connotation that lends itself to meaningful interpretations. I cannot wait to build off of them and transform them into something new entirely.