Mining mica by hand
Mica
Quarry
We were invited to an artist in residency by the small, rural American town of Denmark, Maine. The assignment was to make an installation using found materials, at the local garbage dump.
Instead of choosing from trash thrown away by local residents – we instead collected small pieces of mica. Mica is a sparkling, natural mineral, geologically native to the state of Maine. Over the course of two weeks, we constructed a mural depicting two leopards hunting. The mica reflections spark as light changes during the day.
We spoke to many locals about the construction and evolution of the work. The image of the two leopards references the local hunting culture, tattoos, popculture and handcraft.
Because all town residents are required to bring their garbage to the dump themselves, The Jungle is out there for everyone to enjoy.
In collaboration with Tara Karpinski