The Journal of Australian Ceramics Vol 52 No 3 November 2013

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Focus: Ecology and Ceramics
Captain Charlie Schneider
and Brick #4, 18 August 2013
Lake Berryessa, floating
above the former town of
Monticello
Photo: David Robertson
In June 2013 Schneider and Robertson began developing the project which included local history
research'7, curation and event planning~ The artists out-sourced fired commercial bricks's and
collaborated on the wording, with Schneider doing much of the inscribing using wooden tools to press
the forms into the bricks, and assorted loop tools and fettling knives to carve shapes '9, much like the
Sumerian scribes who used reeds. 2o The text, which is charaderistically political and lyrical. covers both
surfaces 21 and excerpts include "Somewhere over the rainbow I God said to Noah, Make yourself
an ark"22, "The Bureau of Reclamation said to the town of Monticello, Pick up your dead and move
them to dry land I The exact dam spot is 38.S133N, 122. 1 042W"23, and accounts taken from former
residents 24 such as "James M Hanley: The flesh of my valley has disappeared. Only the bones remain
I Barbara M Hanson: What the bulldozers didn't destroy, the fires did" .IS The completed twenty-four
bricks were then fired in a medium-sized eledric kiln to Cone 06. Also inline with Schneider's other
artistic interventions in natural and urban environments, there is a slight guerrilla edge as no permission
was sought from local authorities - another peaceful and unobtrusive act of claiming back history and
place.
The ensuing WAKE Conference was held on 18 August 201326 - Schneider and Robertson being
accompanied by a small group of local artists, friends and family17 on a 44-foot, two-decker pontoon
boat that was christened Monticello for the occasion. As boat captain, Schneider initiated the hour-
30 THE JOURNAL Of AUSTRALIAN CERAMICS NOVEMBER 2013