River Burn

River Burn (2007–2012)
Paper, wood, wire hanger.
East River, Greenpoint, Brooklyn waterfront

A series of ritual burnings in which paper-and-wire sculptures were set aflame and pushed out into the river toward the city, where they drifted and burned.

For six years on September 20 I built a sculpture on a piece of found wood. Once it got dark, I brought it to the East River in Greenpoint, set it afire, and pushed it out into the river current toward Manhattan. Me and sometimes others watched as the currents pull the flaming piece toward the lights of the city, sometimes rooting for it to go further, sometimes watching in silence. A long string attached to the board allowed me to pull the burned-down sculpture back to Brooklyn. This ritual was also done once in the Schuylkill River in Philadelphia.