For several months, I have been working at the confluence of several tributaries running from the hills above my house. One stream is soft, its voice smooth, and the other stream is powerful , its voice husky. Going there everyday and immersing myself in this project has been rewarding and transformative – to me professionally and personally – and to the project itself. As I have gotten to understand the materials and their context, the construction of the weirs has evolved and allowed me to push the construction beyond what I thought possible. Now instead of what I imagined the project to be – a few weirs that resemble the traditional idea of a weir ( a woven net of sticks to catch fish) – these structures take on more sculptural qualities that reflect the history of the river, the hydrology of the site, and the sound scapes one encounters when traveling through the space.
I am grateful to the Williamsburg Historical Society for the permission to work on their site, and to the Williamsburg Cultural Commission for funding the project.
I have scheduled a presentation and a hike to the site (boots recommended!) for September the 13th at 10 am at the Meekins Library.
