“I’m here in Cincinnati for a while. With this term will come a steadyness, roots inching deeper. In my first weeks back, I planted my garden. Beans, herbs, and squash. My favorite fall bloom- Celosia.
    I feel that becoming part of the place you are requires a certain kindling with the land: an acknowledgement of the stones prevalent in the area, or what fruits are ripe when. It means noticing how dense and green the preserved hillsides are as they hug the crumbling roads.
    Here we roll through the undulating topography,
Bellevue hill our closest south-facing lookout over the river valley. I descend across the border by bike, climbing up towards the opposing crest at Devou. When by bike or foot, we feel that liquid air in our chests- the humid summer that debilitates our human brain function and hydrates our jungle-like understory.
    To become a resident we make a home, interact with the community, buy things, and do our work. To build our connection with the place, we should also pay respect to the unseen forces at play- beneath our feet, in the currents of the sky, or between the fibers in a log.” (Page 9)

 

Above, the table I exhibited the project on, including the raw materials I extracted, the artifacts and tools of process, and the objects which were produced through the 8-week inquiry. 

“For this 8-week project, I have chosen to explore the natural material landscape of Cincinnati. The process of designing is intertwined with the process of understanding material qualities, like plasticity, tensile strength, and memory. Gaining knowledge of these qualities requires a sensory attention- mainly aquired through our hands. I imagine my hands as instruments, twisting fibers to test their resilience or feeling the silty slip suspended in water.
    I also believe that the process of designing is intertwined with the process of living, and that there is no need to separate the two. We are constantly working to solve problems and improve our lives, even if it is just adding a rubber-band to your hose handle to keep it on without your squeeze.
    I designed this project to allow me to research on trips to the woods. I research by getting my produce under the farm-shed. My project is about spending time moving woodchips in my backyard to begin new life in our soil. I learned ways of making fire and really: just chose to be outside.
    Formally, I focused on making 5 simple tools- extensions of ourselves- that come from the manual refinement of a material. My goal was to focus on the process, and develop a collection of practices and proofs.” (page 13)

This interactive, embedded link is a living book - infinitely editable and shareable. I produced one hand-bound, printed edition in August 2024. I would be glad to edit the document and print another edition in the future. The book layout was designed by Becca Dugas. 

Above, Liz flips through my book at the exhibition.

Shown above, my classmates gather in the school’s shop for our exhibition/critique.