Shadow Box

Shadow Box

05.13 – 08.13

The Installation lasted one day, over the hours of a full sun-cycle and aimed towards creating a temporary observatory that framed the sky.

Walking along the forest trail, one is surrounded by dense forest before arriving at a clearing. The unusual clearing among the trees provided an opportunity to inspect the forest floor at ground level. The area housed a cluster of 5 trees in which it was chosen to base the site – views were directed upwards by the tall trunks of the trees, and in an effort to preserve and emphasis that view, an enclosure was created that encompassed the marked space, leaving but a single opening.
 

The height of the walls are tall enough that the surrounding forest is not visible, only the tall trees that stretching upwards. The white muslin panels provides a clean canvas for nature to take its course. As the sun moves across the sky, the light and shadows move and dance on the cloth. The cycle of the sun is mapped upon the fabric as it catches the shadows of the leaves and surrounding vegetation.

At times, the walls seem to glow, and moving figures inside create distorted shadows which pedestrians on the trail can see. Those that venture off of the trail are invited to incline and sink into the white muslin sheets.

Design Process

Construction

For each of the four faces, two sets of timber frames were built. White muslin was then wrapped around the the first frame and pulled taught as if mounting a canvas frame. Next the second timber frame was screwed into the first, to provide additional support and to hold the muslin sheet in place.

Once these four canvases were transported to the site, the corners at the top of the structure were secured to four trees from the pre-measured site and secured with metal cable. The bottom edges were secured by planting metal rods into the ground.

The precise measurement of the site and the use of 3D-modelling software beforehand, ensured that installation could be set up in a matter of hours.

Assembly

Photos