“Through Failure Comes Possibility” is an on-going project repurposing “failed” paintings from my studio to construct sandbags. Experimentation and risk are at the core of an artist’s practice. Without the occasional “failure” the possibility of growth and generation of new ideas will not come about. In painting, this manifests itself in material covered with paint that will not easily break down and may contain health adverse minerals such as cadmium. Considering my fascination with military aesthetics and my concern for the waste I generate as a working artist, I looked for a way to take unsuccessful or “failed” paintings and convert them into useable and constructive objects. The sandbags are used to build a varied configuration of structures. Aside from obvious military references, they also share a relation to earthbag building, a low cost form of home construction adopted from military sandbag structures often used to construct solider and refugee housing.

Click on images below for more configurations and larger images.