The Best Laid Schemes 

9 x 6 x 11 ft Hand-made raw earth bricks and mortar 2019 2019 Artist Intern      Artist Statement ​The desire for permanence is an innate human trait. We long to leave a mark that will remain after we have moved on or passed, yet one’s attempt at permanence is but a whisper in time. This is true for both individuals and civilizations. We build and build; destruction is never far behind. Our “best laid schemes” often go awry, and the earth absorbs them into itself. The brick is a structural object that has deviated little from its early beginnings. It is an object that synthesizes into a larger whole which is greater than its parts. I formed 820 bricks out of raw earth to use as material to create this space. This brick structure represents my desire, and likewise society’s desire, to last and create something permanent. Despite all my toil and excessive amounts of labor, this structure will be washed away with the rain—my efforts cannot prevent this.  

Matthew Edmond Watkins 

Born: Athens, GA, USA, 1997 Resides: Knoxville, TN, USA Education BFA, Union University, 2019