Filed under: Morphology Field Station for Sensing Place
Morphology Field Station for Sensing Place, an installation by Bartow + Metzgar at the DeCordova Sculpture Park + Museum in Lincoln, Massachusetts (Southwest view). This installation is being utilized as a provisional research space where environmental samples collected from the DeCordova site are processed and registered into an archive for the study of human and nonhuman agents. The Field Station will remain in the Sculpture Park until the end of September 2010. At that time it will be reconfigured for an exhibition in the Dewey Gallery of the DeCordova Museum titled Stratimentation: investigations of a metamorphic landscape as part of DeCordova’s Platform program (#5). The structure’s shape was derived from the topography of the DeCordova site. See drawing below. The Stratimentation blog chronicles the development of Bartow + Metzgar’s activity over the course of their exhibition period in the Sculpture Park + Museum.
Working in the Field Station, January 2010.
Morphology Field Station in the late Fall of 2009.
Field station with lower portion of entrance door detached. Each window detaches from its housing to become a portable graticule (drawing device).
Upper portion of entrance door raised in “awning position”.
Detail, upper portion of entrance door.
East view of Morphology Field Station.
Window opening into archive area of field station (Northwest view). The shape of the window and the entrance were determined by overlaying all of the major fault lines in Massachusetts onto the structure. Where two fault lines joined became the openings respectively. Other fault lines will determine how the structure “breaks” apart when moved to the Dewey Gallery space in the DeCordova Museum, September 2010. The breaks will produce several structural sections that will be configured as an archive infrastructure for the gallery space. The drawing below represents a plan view of the structure with the fault lines overlaid onto it. The red lines (topographic rings) signify the topography of the DeCordova site from which the structure was derived.
Major fault lines in Massachusetts (blue) laid over structure (red).
Interior view of Morphology Field Station, floor freshly painted.
Interior view of Morphology Field Station with bottom of door fixed in position.
Morphology Field Station, view of archive shelving and viewing window.
While the Morphology Field Station is in place a series of tree drawings are being produced. These drawings utilize wind, a tree branch, and atmospheric conditions e.g., dry weather, humidity, temperature, etc. to produce nonhuman documents with qualitatively different outcomes for several locations and periods of time. Drawing stations are set up in proximity to the Field Station while B+M are in residency. The tree drawing is an experiment with time, not as a metric but rather as a qualitative event. A typical drawing station set-up is pictured above. Other examples of tree drawing (from an earlier project) can be seen here: bartowmetzgar, and here: nonhumandrawing.
Tree drawing, 1-14-10, 4 hours-44 minutes
Tree drawing, 1-12-10, 6 hours-7 minutes
Tree drawing, 11-08-09, 3 hours-48 minutes
Tree drawing, 11-08-09, 3 hours-22 minutes
Filed under: Environmental Collection walks and samples
As a part of B+M’s project Stratimentation: investigations of a metamorphic landscape, organic and inorganic samples are being collected for the analysis of human and nonhuman relations. Collections include soil cores, rock samples, plant life, urban detritus, environmental audio and video, and fungi. Isolated selections from the samples will be cultured for microbiological activity. All samples will be incorporated into an archive for the project (see installation, research station category).
Vector map of material relations between sculptures in the DeCordova Sculpture Park, used to produce random collection points on the park site. Collection points are produced where vectors of differing materials intersect. Material vector key found on left side of image. Black and orange circles represent sculpture locations.
Inorganic samples and geologic sample, collection # 11-407 (collection point inside the DeCordova Museum)
Collection bag, # 10-332
Organic sample, collection # 10-332
Organic sample, collection # 10-332
Organic samples, collection # 10-332
Organic sample, collection # 9-313
Organic sample, collection # 9-313
Organic samples, collection # 9-313
Collecting samples in January 2010 at collection point #8-292.
Organic sample, collection # 8-292
Organic sample, collection # 8-292
Organic sample, collection # 8-292
Organic sample, collection # 7-350
Organic sample, collection # 7-350
Organic sample, collection # 7-350
Organic sample, collection # 7-350
Rock slice, #7-350
Magnification of rock slice 30X (field of view 4.3mm x 3.26mm), # 7-350
Anaerobic bacteria culture from interior of rock sample, #7-350
Collecting samples with DeCordova patrons at collection point #6-292.
Collection #6-292
Organic sample, collection # 6-292
Organic sample, collection # 6-292
Organic sample, collection # 6-292
Organic sample, collection # 6-292
Rock slice, #6-292
Magnification of rock slice 30X (field of view 4.3mm x 3.26mm), #6-292
Anaerobic bacteria culture from interior of rock sample, #6-292
Digging hole for microbial drawing plate, collection point #6-292
Organic sample, collection #5-320
Organic sample, collection #5-320
Geologic sample, collection #5-320
Organic sample, collection #5-320
Rock slice, #5-320
Magnification of rock slice 30X (field of view 4.3mm x 3.26mm), #5-320
Anaerobic bacteria culture from interior of rock sample, #5-320
Microbial drawing plate at collection point #5-320.
Bacteria culture from soil sample, #5-320
Digging hole for microbial drawing plate at collection point #4-281.
Collection bag filled with samples from point #4-281.
Organic sample, #4-281
Organic sample, #4-281
Fungi sample, #4-281
Rock slice, #4-281B
Magnification of rock slice 30X (field of view 4.3mm x 3.26mm), #4-281B
Magnification of rock slice 30X (field of view 4.3mm x 3.26mm), collection #4-281C
Anaerobic bacteria culture from interior of rock sample, #4-281E
Bacteria culture from soil sample, #4-281
Collecting with DeCordova patrons at collection point # 3-302.
Burying microbial drawing plate #3-302. The drawing (a sheet of 8-1/2″ x 11″ vellum) sandwiched between two Plexi plates) will be buried for a determined amount of time and then pulled at a later date. The drawing will then be swabbed and cultured for bacterial analysis.
Rock slice, #3-302A
Magnification of rock slice 30X (field of view 4.3mm x 3.26mm), #3-302A
Rock slice/material culture, #3-302B
Magnification of rock slice 30X (field of view 4.3mm x 3.26mm), #3-302B
Anaerobic bacteria culture from interior of rock sample, #3-302B
Collecting samples with DeCordova patrons at collection point #2-308.
Burying microbial drawing plate at collection point #2-308.
Organic sample, collection point #2-308
Inorganic sample/material culture, collection point #2-308
Organic sample, collection point #2-308
Organic sample, collection point #2-308
Geologic sample, collection #2-308
Rock slice (from geologic sample above), collection #2-308H
Magnification of rock slice 30X (field of view 4.3mm x 3.26mm), #2-308H
Magnification of rock slice 30X (field of view 4.3mm x 3.26mm), collection #2-308B
Magnification of rock slice 30X (field of view 4.3mm x 3.26mm), collection #2-308A
Anaerobic bacteria culture from interior of rock sample, #2-308G
Collecting with two patrons during B+M’s first public collection walk, collection point #1-213.
Digging hole for microbial drawing plate # 1-213.
Detail of microbial drawing plate being placed in hole 12″ deep. The location of the plate is marked with a GPS unit so that it can be located at a later date.
Organic sample pulled from collection #1-213
Organic sample, collection #1-213
Organic sample, collection point #1-213
Organic sample, collection point #1-213
Geologic sample, collection #1-213
Rock slice from geologic sample, collection #1-213
Magnification of rock slice 30X (field of view 4.3mm x 3.26mm), #1-213
Anaerobic bacteria culture from interior of rock sample, #1-213
Filed under: Installation, research station
Work begins with the installation of Bartow + Metzgar’s field station in the Sculpture Park at DeCordova Sculpture Park +Museum. The installation was a 3-1/2 week fabrication process with the assistance of Peter and Philip Bartow, Brian DeRosia, and Brad Gonyer.
Structural ribbing added to research station (Northwest view).
The structure and its orientation were derived from the topography of the DeCordova site.
Structural ribbing continues (Southwest view). As the research station gets higher the “topo-rings” get more complex and eccentric.
East side of research station. Painting, cutting, and applying purlins for painted Cedar shingles (Northeast view).
Cladding the structure with a painted Cedar shingle (Northwest view). The color was derived from a Google satellite view of the site, Cabot’s “Shade Tree Green” matched a color sample pulled from the digital satellite image. The cladding will become more textural and complex as it meets the intricate facets closer to the top of the structure.
Fabricating door on South side of structure. The bottom half of the door is detachable. The top half will fold up to become an awning. Both sections of the door will house a detachable window that will double as a portable graticule unit (viewing device).
Cladding the structure ( Southeast view).
Cladding the structure (Northeast view)
Cladding the top of structure (Northwest view). The shingles produce an expressive surface due to the complexity of the planer facets.
Interior view of structure (South view).
Internal structure consist of horizontal ribs (topo-rings), vertical supports and purlins.
Touch-up of cedar shingles. Cladding is close to completion (Southwest view).
Entrance of structure close to completion.
