Projects > New Orleans Flatboat/Shotgun

In 1850 Stephen Harrison left the relative safety of his free-black community along the Eastern shore of Maryland and headed south, by way of the Mississippi River, destined for New Orleans. He constructed a simple flatboat, made for a one-way journey, loaded with supplies and provisions to begin a new life. Upon arrival, the wooden hull of the flatboat was transformed into his first dwelling.

The sculpture is an object that transforms, moving between a flatboat, the preferred mode for farmers transporting goods down the Mississippi, and shotgun style houses pervasive throughout New Orleans

This ongoing project is a speculative history that documents Harrison's journey through sculpture, maps, drawings, and writings. Materials: Driftwood(collected from Mississippi River), MDF, Pine 2x4.