Earth Works

Grain Offerings are the formation of pure architectonic shapes by the controlled release of granular materials to the influences of gravity.  By simply dropping any granular substance like sand or grain, regular piles or mounds are formed by gravity.  If the material is released from a single point a perfect cone is formed, the slope of which is determined by the material’s characteristics. This is known as the angle of repose.  By regulating the pattern of release, a variety of basic geometric shapes are formed.  These shapes suggest early architectural constructions: mounds, pyramids, cones, various truncated platforms and ziggurats.  They all evolved by a simple piling up of material.  The word “stupa” means to pile up.  Stupas are now highly symbolic ritualistic sacred structures that evolved from earlier burial mounds.  Still evident in parts of North America are extant examples of a once prevalent mound building culture.

In Buddhist practice a “Grain Offering” ritual is performed.   The universe is symbolically represented as a grain mandala to be offered in a process of purification and evolution of consciousness.

Grain Offering – Mountain Building is a large scale agricultural material transporting system that gradually builds a pure elongated pyramid shape via an open auger.  In this case, a by-product of almond hulling is carried to an outdoor storage yard.  The golden colored crushed shell and husk is released from the level overhead auger falling to the ground forming a cone that eventually reaches the bottom of the auger.  From here the pile slowly grows following the line of the auger structure.