Project Description

“Studio for Re-Visions By Way of Carbonization” was a response to the origins of the city of Phoenix. In 1867 Jack Swilling was passing through the area and discovered the canals used for irrigation that were built by the Hohokam Indians. A community formed in the area and was later named Phoenix, as it described a city born from the ruins of a former civilization.

As a tourist in Phoenix I encountered a city in transition, a new light rail system underway, tower cranes filling the skyline, and construction . Responding to this city built from the traces of it's first inhabitants I used the metaphor of carbonization to address Phoenix's history of building from traces. Just like the Hohokam, charcoal is a trace left behind which can be utilized, in this piece the traces were used for the re-visioning of a contemporary Phoenix undergoing transition.

Visitors were invited to re-vision their city's skyline with the charcoal through edits and alteration to the tourists drawing.