Part of the annual Campsite show, the primary focus of this project was twofold: first, to build a functioning wood kiln out of found materials from around the site where the kiln was to be located, and second, to create an environmental installation to inspire dialogue concerning world overpopulation. The kiln was constructed at University Settlement Camp in Beacon, NY. Most materials used to construct the kiln, including hard brick, red brick, and various steel components, were found at the campsite and in the town of Beacon, New York. All clay used in the construction of the kiln was extracted from the campsite area as well. The kiln functions as a dual-chambered, low fire anagama wood kiln, insulated primarily by the earth in which it is partially buried. Similar to the Kingston project, small ceramic figures were constructed and installed at various points around the campsite area. However, these figures were created with a clay body that was comprised of a combination of two different clay deposits in Beacon. Six thousand figures were made by the PIPS crew and by campers at the University Settlement Camp in classes taught by PIPS.
Twenty sites were then selected and mapped according to Buckminster Fuller’s visionary world map, the central demarcation being the kiln as the North Pole. The twenty sites represent the twenty most populated cities in the world, and each figurine at each site is representative of 25,000 people. Maps were again created to guide people to each site in which these cities were located. These six thousand figures are only representative of the top twenty most populated cities in the world.
Overpopulation creates irrevocable damage to the natural ecosystems, and without creating dialogue about the tenuous relationship between man and nature, the sheer density of the human race will eventually drain the earth of its natural resources. Our goal is to not only coerce the participant into a hands-on exploration of the rural landscape of the campsite, but also to overwhelm and inspire a critical discussion about these issues.