La Carbonaia - The Charcoal Kiln

In 2008, I spent two months in Tuscany, Italy learning the traditional method of charcoal making. Funded by a grant, I hired a 77-year-old, retired charcoal maker, and together we constructed an Earth Mound Kiln in the forest, on a property near Siena. Although charcoal production was common for hundreds of years, having significant influence on the local farm community and the landscape, a charcoal kiln had not been made on this property since the 1950’s. With the progressive disappearance of people who are the bearers of this knowledge, the traditional technique of producing an Earth Mound Kiln is slowly being lost. I spent eight days in the forest with Rudolfo, the carbonaro, constructing a vertically stacked kiln with local materials (including sustainably harvested wood), lighting the kiln, monitoring the carbonization process until its opening on the final day. The charcoal was then spread out upon the forest floor and cooled before collection.

The second portion of the project was the creation of drawings, made with the produced charcoal. These drawings were a narrative and a representation of the experience and memory of working in the landscape, building the kiln. The process was also documented with photographs, video, note-taking, and sketching. I exhibited all of the work, including the drawings, in a 12th century tower located on the property.

The essence of the project was to engage with the landscape in an intimate way, to find a relationship between the hands and the natural materials of the land while honoring and restoring a lost cultural art.