cinderCone was originally intended to be part of the series
sandtraps and other Hazards, however the road to Lassen
National Park was covered in snow, feet of snow, in April
2017. Due to the inclement weather a substitute was needed so
Sunset Crater, Arizona was inserted into the itinerary in
place of Cinder Cone. The video installation golferInFishbowl
which placed a mini projector inside an inverted fishbowl was the
prop at Sunset Crater. Consequently the excursion to Cinder Cone in
June 2019 required a different installation. The milk white glass
light globe replaced the fish bowl and the video scubaDiverTurning
replaced the stocky golfer.cinderCone now no longer belonged in the
sandtraps and other Hazards category but it geographically fit into
the from here to there and back again series. The video animation
scuba Diver was one of three figures from the video "three people
wearing wet suits standing next to or wading out of Lake Tahoe".
That video was used in the next installation at the Bonneville
Salt Flats.
cinder Cone properly belongs in the series fromHeretoThereandBackAgain. Geograhically it is between Petaluma
and the Bonneville Salt Flats and it is a site which was considered at the time as a legitimate location to visit.
that the video performance took place years after the original trip is a fortuitous conjunction.
Cinder Cone could have been a location used for sandtraps, however
the video of the scuba diver proved to be much superior to any other golfer video which might have been used.
| Sunset Crater and Cinder Cone are both the remnants of ancient volcanoes which created finely ground mounds of lava sands and chunky fields of ragged lava rocks. it is difficult to walk up the side of the lava cones. |  |
the granular sand is not compacted. it is loose and provides no traction. the foot slips with each step. the feet slide on top of the surface rubble. into the surface rubble. it is not sand but a pumice gravel which eventually breaks apart into small chunks before it becomes granular then dust. |
the milk glass globe is for a ceiling light fixture.
the rif6 cube sits inside the globe.
the projected video plays poorly at first.
lava dust has settled onto the chip contacts.
blowing hard on the chip removed
removes the dust before inserting again.
the video now plays as expected.
a scuba diver turns his body back towards
the crater is dormant. people can walk down to the bottom of the crater.
it doesn't seem worthwhile to do that. the view is more interesting from the summit crest.
| it is June 23 and much of the park is still snow covered | the road to Butte Lake and the trail head to Cinder Cone are open | a father is carrying his infant in a backpack up the pummelled lava trail to the top of Cinder Cone |
