Measured in Bricks: 2¾ × 4½ × 9½
For the past four years, ceramist Chris Bonner and I have co-taught a collaborative course at the Tileworks, a working history museum in Doylestown, PA. Our interest in bricks began there, experimenting with the museum’s historic brick auger alongside our students. With grant support, we are currently developing a maquette of a historic bottle kiln based on Henry Mercer’s design, which will eventually be installed at the Tileworks.

Building from that start, we are now beginning to explore a series of brick-based installations and sculptures. These works experiment with slip-cast porcelain bricks, topographical impressions pressed into local clay, and sustainable bricks made from recycled clay and ground oyster shells. Through this material inquiry, we are considering how brick-making—rooted in industrial history—connects to contemporary ecological concerns. Themes of fragility, impermanence, and resilience surface in the layered forms, as we look toward future installations that bring together historical craftsmanship and environmental reflection.