I walked a box of fallen residue from the bricks in the building where my studio stands. The water damage created from the flood of 1955 breaks down the bricks' surface and now it crumbles almost up to two bricks worth a week. As I walked, I thought about where the water of that flood stood and how far up Union Street the moat of water must have come. It's hard to imagine water when it is not there reflecting, especially in massive amounts displaced from a nearby pond.
These remains are bright orange. When I sit in my studio I can hear the dust fall in the corners that are now covered with blue. The orange looks magnificent upon its complimentary color (not the best documentation above). I simply sweep it up and walk the remnants to the Old Town Hall then place it in a box on view. When scraping the dust into the small hole, it feels very much like I am working with cremated remains. The flood of that year was a travesty throughout New England. It left a big hole in the 1 Cottage Street building. If you look closely you can see where it was rebuilt. The new brick looks stable and less worn.
I like to think way back before Easthampton had two ponds- when the Nashawannuck was just a meadow, or was it woods? Then there were no factories. The landscape must have been immensely different before Williston opened up the gates of Broad Brook. I look and try to locate the remnants of the damage--peering for cracks and stains.I also look to see what is not there- the water creeping up the building.
