Charred was a temporary installation on the facade of MadArt’s newly-renovated large-scale artists’ studio in South Lake Union. As a collaborative, multimedia piece by Kathleen Warren and Jon Gentry, with contributing artist Kat Larson, Charred comprised a burned and etched wood-paneled wall with a video component.

Following the traditional Japanese wood preservation practice of Shou-sugi-ban, the wood was burned, cleaned with water, then oiled. Just as fire allows room for new growth, these singed cedar panels marked the building’s renewal. Tree rings were etched into the panels, recalling the past lives of the building and surrounding neighborhood. A bright green color behind the boards alluded to the burgeoning life of the space. Adding to the experience, visitors could view a video through a knothole in the tree rings. Upon the opening of MadArt Studio, Charred was removed from the facade and relocated to its new home on the rooftop patio of the apartment building above.