This series is the start of my ongoing research and exploration into the realities of non-local consumerism and how to lessen the environmental impacts inherent within it, especially within the context of an art/object operation. At what point does the line have to be drawn for something to be environmentally-unacceptable to ship over a certain distance in concerns with its weight or size? How can this toll even be ultimately quantified? Or is it just a qualitative exercise?
The ‘Hyper-Local HMA’ (Heavy Material Acquisition) concept was born from ideations on how to achieve heavy, solid, unique objects without committing the near absolute-sin of shipping said heavy items across large distances to the eventual end-user. The concept is that the end-user would receive the laminate wood top, the wood connecting materials, and the steel connecting hardware via standard shipping options. Then, in order to complete the fabrication, the end-user would purchase their own relative-identical concrete blocks from their closest local hardware or building supplies store and ultimately assemble the piece themselves. This would achieve the goal of being a solid, quality piece without having to subject the environment to such a harsh toll via typical air or ground shipping from the substantial weight of the concrete blocks.
