Key

I did a freshman project at RISD with another student named Margot. The project involved stringing 4 stories of florescent lights inside the Waterman Building incinerator shaft, at the base of which was a furnace where refuse was probably burned. It had been out of commission for a long time.  It was filthy.

The project was in most respects perilous, over-ambitious and ill-planned  --all of which were my personal hallmarks at the time. Still, the outcome was fantastic: the effect was a seemingly endless secret column of light in the darkness.  During the critique with our entire class and professor, Jack Massey, the project collapsed into a shower of sparks, shards of glass, and clanging metal. Somehow, no one was injured.

Anyway, while I was examining in the empty furnace, which was large enough for several students to stand in, I found this key and cleaned it off.  It looked old and well-crafted.

Then I inspected it and noticed a nice design feature that indicated the room to which it went.  Cool.

                     

It has been on a shelf in my studio ever since as a memento.