I make Afterlife Spaces. These spaces contain projections within ruins of Chester County, Pennsylvania. The installations are only visible for a short period of time to account for transference of energy. The structures I project upon have been here for centuries. I reinstate their history with those of the present by cleansing them with liquid light. Through these installations I address the idea of a memorial, perhaps, a memorial of today’s attractions. I am immortalizing a moment in a few hours at most, depending on the battery of my power bank. Most memorials commemorate an event or theme in time, I am just doing so in an ephemeral way. I am taking a part of the locations history and redirecting it in a futuristic fashion, while also incorporating the effects of colonization. The futurism aspect lies in how we are still, presently, being established. I think of the projections as a light graffiti transitions reel.
The documentation of the installations is made in a way that is not typical of straightforward schematics. Since the projections are so temporary, the memory will only be reconciled in these photographs. Yet again, I am choosing to document the theme in a highly idealized way. A common thread in these stories is 18th to 19th century mills, homes, and buildings that benefited the livelihood of its people. The shadow of the American Revolution, the birth of freedom, and the rights of the people were all taken into account.
Afterlife Spaces of Chester Co. map
In 2015, a public park was established in Coatesville, PA, near Stargazers' Stone. The land was once a farm where Isaac and Rhoda Lied raised six children during the 1800’s.
Lied’s Park, Coatesville, PA, January 2, 2022, 5:04pm, 39°56'40.1"N 75°44'16.4"W.
Two-story house ruins located off of Rt. 113. The house is situated very close to the highway.
Chester Springs, PA, January 16th, 2023, 5:21pm, 40°04'59.7"N 75°37'46.1"W.
The Ebenezer AME Church and Cemetery were established in 1835, and its congregation consisted of former slaves. The church was closed in 1848, it was later revived in 1873.
Ebenezer AME Cemetery, Frazer PA, August 12th, 2021, 8:31pm, 40°03'18.3"N 75°35'17.0"W.
A schoolhouse for African American children built in 1857. The stabilization project was completed in 2005.
Longwood School, Exton, PA, January 28th, 2021, 5:37pm, 40°03'31.1"N 75°35'50.1"W.
The Lloyd Farmhouse was built in the late 1700’s and is believed to have been part of the Underground Railroad. William Penn sold the land to the Lloyd family in 1757.
Lloyd Farmhouse, Downingtown, PA, March 6th, 2022, 6:07pm, 40°00'25.6"N 75°43'17.4"W.
19th century stone farmhouse. A revitalization effort began in January 2021. No lasting renovations - April, 2024.
Bryn Coed Preserve, Chester Springs, PA, January 13th, 2021, 7:00am, 40°07'45.6"N 75°36'37.6"W.
Ruins located on the outskirts of Stargazers’ Village. Unknown timeline, possibly 18th century.
Stargazers’ Village, Coatesville, PA, March 1st, 2023, 6:01 pm, 39°56'56.5"N 75°44'25.8"W.
This mill was listed on the Chester County, PA survey map in 1856. Once a grist and saw mill.
Ben Prizer Mill, Kimberton, PA, January 15th, 2023, 5:25pm, 40°07'58.7"N 75°34'16.1"W.
In 2017, Toll Brothers reached a settlement with the Tigue farm to develop single-family homes on the land. The farmhouse was built in 1750.
Tigue Farm, 945 Tigue Rd, West Chester, PA, May 21, 2021, 8:34pm, 39°55'54.8"N 75°36'43.0"W.
The Roger Hunt Mill was constructed in the 1750’s and was primarily used as a feed mill until the 1930’s.
Roger Hunt Mill, Race St, Downingtown, PA, March 5th, 2021, 6:14am, 40°00'29.7"N 75°42'39.6"W.
Series of ruins located across from Wagontown Fire Company. Unknown timeline, possibly 18th century.
Coatesville, PA, January 11th, 2021, 5:36pm, 40°00'32.0"N 75°50'23.4"W.
Once a grist mill and oil mill created in 1860. This mill has gone through multiple renovations over the years.
Snyder’s Mill, Phoenixville, PA, January 12th 2022, 5:32pm, 40°08'15.9"N 75°33'13.2"W.