A ruin is the embodiment of architectural decomposition. Structures outlive their uses, are abandoned and fall into disrepair and decay. The formation (or deformation more fittingly) of a ruin has various stages. Without daily care, dust and dirt collects in the corners, opportunistic spiders span the spaces with webs and water invades through unfilled cracks to dampen the interior bringing on the arrival of mold and mildew. Wind and weather drive water to infiltrate and then freeze and thaw to pry apart masonry, peel the paint, loosen the plaster and warp the moldings in a slow motion crumble. Rats chew the baseboards, birds foul the attics and insects feed on the rot and decay. The agents of ruin are tenacious, never taking a day off continuously assaulting our best accomplishments and most prized possessions.

Our installation aims to dramatize the determined attack of the natural forces of decomposition by draping the previous installations with a net of string suggesting the cobwebs, caterpillar tents and mold that signal the assault of natural forces on the things we build.

The degree to which the assailing web appears to be pulling its victim down is countered by the strength and perseverance of the subject under assault which pushes upward in determined resistance. Our installation illustrates this constant struggle between the forces of generation and destruction celebrating the rebalancing tension of natural cycles.

Three types of string are included in our installation to form a sort of materials test field. The smallest web is made of yarn spun by hand from a mix of wool, corn silk, corn husk, Goldenrod, and milkweed floss. It is minimally processed and the fibers are very close to the state in which they were collected. The three largest webs are made of pure cotton cord. This string is made of organic material but it has been twisted by a machine to a high level of consistency. It will return to an appearance closer to its natural state as it gets dirty, weathers and untwists. The second smallest web is made of synthetic nylon twine. Its surface quality and color are rarely found in the natural world and it will become more otherworldly as it shrugs off the effects of time while the materials around it decay.