Meltdown Project

The Meltdown Project is an artistic expression of the melting polar ice caps and the constant release of carbon that contributes to the deadly warming of the planet. My goal was to create a visually compelling installation that drew people together to discuss creative solutions to the current climate crisis. I developed a technique to create circular Zen-like drawings on either sand or paper using melting pieces of ice, which I refer to as “carbon.” The carbon was sourced in Bushwick, New York, where I poured filthy gutter water into molds made from condoms and hung them in my freezer to create pods of contaminated ice. Using a piece of string, an ice pod was then hung like a pendulum over a sheet of paper or sand. In addition, I created a sculptural contraption with a wooden structure to suspend the ice, and a rotating table that supports the drawing surface. When the ice melted, it dripped on the paper/sand below creating circular patterns.

The contraption used in the Meltdown Project is ten feet high, with a 30 x 26 inch base on wooden wheels. The upper arm cantilevers outward 10 feet, with pulleys, wheels, counter weights, and a woven string, all in service of a simple hook that suspends an ice pod. Using a plumb bob to pinpoint where the ice drips will fall, the contraption is wheeled into position above a knee-high table. The structure is assembled on site, in front of an audience, and takes about 45 minutes to build. When the structure is complete a series of low, hand-made stools are placed around the table for visitors to watch and participate. Finally, the ice pod is brought out and suspended from the contraption. This is a rich moment of anticipation as it takes a few moments for the first drop to form on the pod and eventually fall, making a small but significant splat on the paper or sand. Then a participant rotates the table a fraction of a degree and the wait begins for the next drip to form and drop. With another splat the process continues. Over time, depending on the diameter of the circle, ambient temperature, and other subtle factors in the room, a circle is formed by multiple drips, splats, and turns of the table. The drawing is considered complete at the point when the circle is closed or just slightly open (to let spirit out), or another rotation can be made dripping into the previous still wet drips creating an even more dynamic splash pattern. Another option is to roll the whole contraption forward or back and create another larger or smaller concentric circle next to the first one. I’ve made circles from 4 inches up to 6 feet in diameter, and my present goal is to create a 24-foot diameter circle. When the project is conducted with sand on the table instead of paper, the drips erode and make marks in the sand. This version, like a sand mandala, is destroyed when finished. The paper versions are saved and displayed in future exhibitions.

The Meltdown Project is effective with a solo practitioner, but typically 6 to 8 people sit around a 4-foot circle. A 24 foot circle would comfortably sit 37 participants. The exhibition includes framed drip drawings of various sizes hung on the surrounding walls and a short documentary film. I have discovered that viewers/participants of the Meltdown Project tend to get mesmerized by the process. That first drop is a magical moment and every succeeding drop has the potential to take the participant into a meditative state. I liken the Meltdown Project to a performative version of Zen meditation in that the focus is on the drip. Over and over, mind focuses, mind wanders, focuses, wanders, and ultimately in time an Enso (Zen circle) appears. Every drop is a demarcation of a focused moment in time, every Enso a collective demarcation of moments of focus and moments of thoughts.  

The Meltdown Project is about bringing people together in an intimate and sacred way. It creates a space to slow down and make an object together as we share an experience that is both mundane and profound. In daily life our minds race with constant thoughts; we often forget that just being in a simple moment can be a restorative act. There is something in the reflection of that singular drop that has the power to remind one to be contemplative of the mystery that is life. The Meltdown Project started out simply enough. Public interaction has added another unexpected level of meaning. When participants sit together and are engaged with the formation of the circle, the performance seems to elicit trust and vulnerability. People open up, drop their social guard, and engage in a meaningful way with each other. The project has thus become about delving into the inner environment of our psyche where I believe profound solutions begin. The true meaning of this work continues to evolve.