Historic Fence

I installed this temporary public art piece at the western gate of the University of California, Berkeley in 2004. While researching historic Sanborn maps and meeting with local historians, I learned experimental agriculture plots once existed in the western portion of the campus in the late 1800’s. During my research, I located one photograph of the plots, and noticed a fence surrounding the perimeter. A series of historic maps provided me with enough information to accurately measure the campus and pinpoint the exact location of the old fence line. I constructed a 25’ replica of the original fence and installed it along the sited line. Upon the top rail of the fence, I attached three etched metal plates. One plate described the project, another exhibited the photograph, and the third displayed the earliest map from 1886 with the dotted fence line.