Hand, Mind & The Creative Process
Temporary + Social Practice
An invitational symposium at Haystack Mountain School of Crafts in Collaboration with Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum, Smithsonian Institution • September 30 – October 3, 2004
Wowhaus created a temporary installation that brought together participants to explore the role of the hand in the creative process. Characteristic of many Wowhaus site-specific projects, “craft” became a means of connecting with place and the forces of nature. Scott worked closely with Haystack staff to develop a low-impact program, culling fallen fir and spruce trees as material; the surrounding forest and tidal beach became both site and studio. Hand tools were used to craft a four post, 20′ tall, bed/raft that was launched into Jericho Bay. Participants stripped poles, assembled the structure, and wove a “mattress” of live fir boughs. After the launching, the structure was disassembled and materials were returned to their original locations – altered yet left to the elements, hopefully to inspire future projects by Haystack students.