Bricklayer, '15
42" x 36" x 84"
Red brick, mortar, fabricated steel, patina, and adobe stucco
Bricklayer is a site specific work made for the Workhouse Arts Center in Virginia. The gallery is on the grounds of a former prison called the Lorton Correctional Complex. The first prisoners on site were made to build the prison around themselves. This began with simple wood structures but soon advanced to permanent structures made of brick. Much of Virginia’s soil is rich with natural clay. The rich soil in conjunction with free labor lead to the prisoners building a kiln on site to fire this clay into bricks. These people were made to build a prison around themselves - handmade brick by brick. My work is a hybrid coffin and brick kiln, built for my size as a memorial to these people.