CHAMA RIVER RESIDENCY

During a month-long residency, I created an ‘initiation hut’ designed for daily reflection, transformation, and animus. The hut, which incorporated elements of local military and astronomical technology—particularly inspired by the Very Large Array—as well as camping gear, drew from the diverse experimental, spiritual, and cosmological explorations occurring across New Mexico. It reflects humanity’s enduring attempt to connect with or exert control over the natural world.

Unlike its high and low-tech counterparts, this structure was built to be just sturdy enough to support my weight and withstand occasional desert winds, but not intended for long-term durability. At the end of the residency, it was dismantled and taken to the nearby Chama River, where it was used as fuel for a communal fire. The creation and dismantling of the hut were documented in a series of medium-format photographs. The small clay figures of animals and humans placed inside the hut were also photographed, though these sculptures have since been destroyed.