Vestigial Trail, 2008

An exploration of an outdoor space, Vestigial Trail imagines history through the physical marks we leave behind.  The courtyard of The Atlanta Contemporary Art Center might appear at first glance to be empty space, but it is filled with clues to past people and activities.  Steel beams from the center’s days as auto repair shop rust overhead, shedding color that stains the concrete and brick walls below.  Colorful geometric shapes hint at the location's early days as an art center.  Enigmatic text on a brick wall awaits an expert to decipher, and swirling marks left by skateboarders bring to full circle the courtyard's connection to the wheel. The layering of historical information in this space is decidedly geological, with each physical element offering clues, but no definitive answers, to questions about the history of the space.  I chose an iconic art image—the gilded frame—to draw attention to visual elements of the courtyard space while adding a conscious layer of artistic vestige to be considered by future visitors.