The central elelment of Kaniksu Passage is a cairn composed of alternating layers of Precambrian mudstone and granite “pillows” made of stone from the Kaniksu formation of north Idaho, where the sculpture is now located. My object was to create a structure using these two rock types that contrast greatly in age, origin, and composition. It becomes a sort of geologic totem; a story of the land. In order to accentuate the contrast of the two materials, I chose to leave the sedimentary rock in its natural state, and carve the granite accurately to fit between the large slabs, much like inter-vertebral discs. My fascination with igneous rocks and traditional quarrying and cutting methods led me to do much of the work with a drill, hammer, and “feathers and wedges”. The first twenty slides document the drilling and splitting using an old rock drill I purchased at a junk store for fifty dollars, and the feathers and wedges forged from salvaged potato digger bars.
