8.1.2020
RCSh is an outdoor installation incorporating a soundscape and large-scale visual imagery by Ashland Mines (Total Freedom). Drawn to derelict spaces found in The Pines, a stark contrast to the natural beauty the National Park is known for, Ashland considered sites overrun by construction debris, devastated by fires, filled with vehicles, power stations, and dumpsters. These spaces have permeated to the extent that the place's visual, environmental, and emotional character has noticeably changed. These sites are not unlike the urban center of New York City, where Ashland resides only 60 miles away. Fire Island, one of 419 “protected” National Parks, has complex governance. Federal, state and local leadership provide the laws and rules, oversee daily functions like garbage removal, boardwalk maintenance, and vehicle registration. Through the center of The Pines runs a dirt road, a state highway, a not-so-distant reminder of Robert Moses’ failed attempt to place a four-lane highway through the 30-mile long barrier island. It is also worth mentioning. This project was informed by another project in development: The endangered Gay Habitat and Breeding Grounds Protection Act. Both suggest not only fleeting natural beauty but noticeable “straight gentrification” and increased policing. Arguably, none are viewed with much favor by the historic LGBTQ community.
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