RAFT
RAFT is an immersive, shanty-like, vessel of last resort made entirely of flood debris. It is an impractical and landlocked craft that presents a tension between ecological disaster and recreation. It is part museum exhibit and part mini golf shipwreck.
This project was conceived when I was exploring a popular fishing hole, along a big eddy, near my home. While there, I was struck by the sheer volume of garbage along the shoreline and the multitude of ways fishermen use the debris to create temporary camp sites and fish-cleaning stations. Regular visits to the site made it clear that the trash is moved around and replenished with every big storm. Everyday this bend in the river looks like the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy. This river, so close to my home, is like an Atlantic-side tributary for the Great Pacific Trash Vortex. The fisherman are literally camping and angling in a river of waste and it seems totally normal.