Leave no trace
Exploring ways of creating a lasting presence without leaving a permanent monument.
To leave a reminder, but with no trace. A way to reflect the desire of memorialisation and legacy in an inspired and personal way.
Leave no trace
Ephemeral mason’s marks
I looked for examples of how seemingly simple marks can tell a story. To represent this idea i chose a mason’s mark. Symbols that were historically carved onto the face of a stone as a signature of the mason who had worked it. This mark making, I believe, acts as evidence of the structure’s lifeline, if it is found in the future.
Leave no trace.
Ephemeral mason’s marks
The by-product of the masonry carving process is the dust: the part of the stone that is no longer wanted, left to be disposed of. I had the idea to use the dust as my medium, because it would involve using the most popular material that memorials are made from, but in a completely different form. This process worked in contrast to the traditional mason’s mark, which is a negative void of a mark carved out. I wanted to create an opposite representation of the traditional mason’s mark. My mark is made from stone, but as a dust it has no structural integrity, therefore in paradox to the strength of stone.
Leave no trace.
Ephemeral mason’s marks
I placed these reverse marks within my environment. I cast them at different times of the day, in different weather conditions. They sat, absorbing the surrounding energies: the sunrises and sunsets, blown by the wind, baked by the sun, washed by the rain. An element amongst the elements; marking time, whilst having a presence in an ephemeral way.