Monday, November 2, 2009

11 of 52 ' SECUNDA'


'SECUNDA' (20 3/4 L x 17 3/4 W x 3 1/4”D) week of October 26th


I’ve been spending a lot of time in a particular area just outside of Bend, trying to get my fill of autumn color and last minute exploration in before the snow starts flying at higher elevations. Last week I was roaming around an area which I am fairly familiar with. It was getting dark quickly so I decided to begin my loop back to the truck. I came to a section where I always spend a few minutes scanning for rocks. In this area was an old, partial deer skeleton which, over time, had been reduced to just the spine and a couple ribs. What was strangely odd, if not a bit spooky this particular evening was somebody had broken apart each vertebrae and placed them at the base of every downed tree in the general area. Each vertebra was thoughtfully placed and oriented in such a way that it immediately spoke of ritual. Upon realizing this pattern I got a quick chill up my spine.


What really got my imagination going was as long as i’d been going to this area I’ve never seen a soul and rarely find any evidence of people. In fact, I can normally tell where I had been from week to week by my foot prints. I picked up a few of the vertebrae and took them back to where they belong, thinking this would allow me to control the situation and reclaim my area. As I was about to pick up another vertebra I notice that the only foot prints in the general vicinity where my own from a few days prior. I turned and kept walking away. Even my dog Big was on full alert which had me looking over my shoulder quite a bit.


Secunda is set into a sweet plastic frame and is comprised of CVG fir, laminate and steel posts which support the rocks.


Happy belated Halloween


1 comment:

  1. Great story, great piece. Really enjoying following your work Ben can't wait to see em all in person. I've got my greatest hits so far, but I'm sure they'll change as I check in each week. Al

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