Negative Space

Negative Space is a temporary, site-specific public artwork created for the San Bernardino Mountains in Southern California. The project activates an area of forest into an immersive environment. Drawing shades of darkness into the landscape using a biodegradable, carbon-based pigment made from locally sourced charcoal. The work is not an object to look at, but a place to enter—a space to slow down, recalibrate perception, and spend time without distraction. The material foundation of Negative Space comes directly from the landscape itself. Charcoal is harvested from fallen trees affected by recent wildfires in the region—fires that have profoundly transformed the ecology of nearby mountain communities. Everything used in the project is biodegradable, non-toxic, and temporary. The material ultimately becomes a fertilizer renewing the forest floor.