Wrangellia I & II


Mixed media on paper, 36 in x 48 in.


These drawings were commissioned by the University of Washington (Henry Gallery) in 2000, to study a possible kiln project on the UWA campus.
they are part of the university's permanent collection and are installed for public viewing on campus.

Wrangellia terrane: part of an even larger group of exotic terranes - the Wrangellia composite terrane - that has been accreted to Alaska and the
North American Continent during the past few hundred million years. On the basis of geophysical and fossil evidence, rocks of the Wrangellia
terrane were formed in a tropical environment thousands of miles south of its present position
http://www2.nature.nps.gov/geology/parks/wrst/

SELECTED TEXT PANELS: WRANGELLIA I - left to right.

Yellow tinted areas are fired areas/heat zones or flues. Kiln/furnaces components are shown by yellow tint and structural lines; they are made of a steel framework and high-temperature insulating blanket or refractory cement. Insulating blanket kiln/furnaces are removed after the firing. Firing is done by propane.

Two-row rock grouping from different geologic terranes with seafloor sediment from the Juan de Fuca plate of the Pacific Coast of Washington. Outside facing surfaces of base rocks are cut and polished. Kiln/furnace’s form reminiscent of Cascade Mountains. Unpolished portions of rocks and the space between them is fired, altering rocks and fusing the seafloor sediment.

Partial List of Terranes of Washington State and British Columbia:
Wrangellia
Alexander Terrane
Turtleback Terrane
Deadman Bay Terrane
Garrison Terrane
Decatur Terrane
Haro Terrane
Methow Terrane (North and South subterranes)
Chilliwack Terrane
Vedder Terrane
Easton Terrane
Hozameen Terrane
Quesnellia Terrane
Cache Creek Terrane
Olympic Terrane
Okanogan Subcontinent
North Cascade Micro-continent
Insular Superterrane
Intermontane Superterrane

Intrinsic or inert fire: basalt columns cut and polished, cast iron streetlight poles and lamps. Elements are not site-fired (prefired during their original formation), may be distributed differently than shown.

Cast iron “meteor” with fossil surface in seafloor sediment impact crater. Interior of crater and meteor fired, kiln removed at the peak of the firing revealing red-hot meteor and sediment.

Two rocks from different geologic terranes with Mt. St. Helens volcanic ash. Space between the rocks is fired altering the rocks and fusing the volcanic ash.

SELECTED TEXT PANELS: WRANGELLIA II - left to right.

Standing cast iron octopus with rocks from Wrangellia and Alexander Terranes and seafloor sediment. Outside facing surfaces of base rocks are cut and polished.. All elements fired to high temperature except for polished areas, rocks are altered by heat, cast iron is allowed to rust over time.

Cast iron standing octopus with structure developed from windows of UW’s Gothic church. Cast Iron, cast refractory cement. Octopus is allowed to rust over time, interior of structure altered by heat.

Horizontal cast iron octopus as an intrusion into a stratigraphic sequence (sill).
Sedimentary rocks (ophiolitic/turbidite sandstone) or similar rocks. Octopus is allowed to rust over time, interior of structure altered by heat.

Drifting (cast iron) octopus with coating of seafloor sediment from the Juan de Fuca Plate. 3 cast iron flues connected underground to kiln/furnace forming a downdraft system for firing.

Construction sequence:
Cast iron elements are installed with underground flue connections.

Seafloor sediment thickly placed over entire octopus.

Sediment partially eroded from octopus by natural rain or high pressure hose revealing 40 - 60%of octopus.

Kiln/furnace placed around octopus/sediment assemblage and fired.

Kiln/furnace removed.Octopus will rust which further alters fired sediment by leaching and staining; flues and underground system left standing, allowed to rust.