The Ruins Project: A Beginning

The first thing I ever wrote about the giant cement canvas to coal

Dear Reader, take note: This piece was written in April of 2015, as I emerged from the shock of my first winter, living rough, in the little brick house. Before I had any proof that this crazy experiment to coal and art would work.

I think it aged well. But read for yourself.

This is the year, 2015, that I find myself the surprised owner of an abandoned coal mine. And not just a coal mine, but the architectural ruins of coal history. My very own folly. Except that a folly, by definition, is a new construction built to look old. To be exact, a folly is a costly ornamental building with no practical purpose. The aristocracy of the 18th century loved to add them to their gardens.

Frivolity in all of its excess.

My folly, on the contrary, was built for work. Each room was created for a particular job. I know some basic facts about the structure and the property on which it sits. Banning #2 wa…