Tonglen by Ryan Mathern
A placid face of segmented, polished metal, eyes calm and lips pursed, supported by a neck armature
containing two volumes, a diamond and a heart. Behind the mouth, inside the curve of the face is a diamond
shaped combustion chamber and below it, just off the ground, a heart shaped bellows. A rod protrudes
behind the head and joins to a levered handle, anchored to the ground so that a person acting on the handle
will cause the bellows to expand and contract, forcing air through the combustion chamber and out of the
mouth. Hot sparks from the burning wood will issue out on the exhale and the stoked combustion chamber
will glow with heat, shining through the seams and incised writing on the face.
