2007
6 PVC vent pipes
Dimensions variable
Dotted along a green overgrown field, white stakes shine from a distance. As you approach, these white stakes take on form, their downspouts revealed.
A vent pipe in a landfill serves the purpose of venting toxic gases that form within the impermeable envelope that contains the deposited trash. Unvented, these gases would cause unwanted explosions, removing perhaps entire hillsides. Vented, these gases slowly release into the local environment without the spectacle of explosion.
Exploring the ability of common infrastructure objects to direct social and aesthetic readings of the landscape, I installed six vent pipes on a ‘public’ lawn in a manicured residential gated community. The vent pipes remained in place for a week, inviting passersby to consider substance below the grass.
