By Kekoa Paki
Hello Reader
If you’ve been following my Instagram account (which you should) you may have noticed me posting some earthworks I make on a local beach from time to time. I would like to discuss those earthworks and what prompted me to start making them with you today.
So, last July, I finished my final quarter of High School/College (click here to learn more about that) and am now on summer break before attending Western Washington University this coming Fall. My family has been telling me for a while now that I need to take more time to relax so as to relieve my stress and workaholism. Thus, I decided that every now and then I’d go to the beach I live nearby and just chill for a bit.
I like the beach. I like watching the water flow by.
After a while during my first venture on the beach, I got a little board and decided to make an earthwork. I had learned about earthworks in my modern art history class at SVC. I particularly liked the work Spiral Jetty by Robert Smithson, which I plan to make a whole blog post talking about.
Spiral Jetty by Robert Smithson
Hug Zone Earthwork
The first earthwork I made was a circle of rocks with the words “hug zone” written in the center. This was inspired by an artist I heard about in New York who spray-painted circles with commands like hug or kiss-zone inside them, to see how people would react to them. Though, I doubt that the writings I left lasted long against the elements…
The second earthwork I made was a tree. I thought it was a fairly inspired choice to use a washed-up log as the trunk of the tree. I came back later and the trunk had been carried away by the tide. I suppose that is kind of the point of site-specific earthworks, that they have very short durations and are somewhat ephemeral.
Tree Earthwork
Fish Earthwork
The third earthwork I made was a fish. During the production of that one, I was set upon by a pack of wild puppies. They were cute, not as cute as my dog, but cute nonetheless.
The latest Earthwork I’ve made is a rabbit sculpture. While working on this piece, I pondered, have I, in my workaholism and need to feel productive, made going to the beach just another form of work? Am I forsaking the relaxation and comfort I went to the beach for in the name of maximum production? I critique CEOs for constantly seeking infinite profit, but am I any different always expecting endless output from myself?
Rabbit Earthwork
Of course, that last thought was a bit extreme. I’m nowhere near as evil as CEOs, and also I am not a reptile. But still, I think I should cool off making earthworks the next time I go to the beach.
Anyways, thanks for reading this blog post.
From,
Kekoa Paki
Kekoa Paki Arts 
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