Basement Clay referenced the geological connection between the building at 500 Capp Street and Southern Exposure. David Ireland was known for mining resources found in his home, including the clay floor of the basement, which he excavated to the point where it was necessary to install lumber supports to prop up the house. This clay deposit runs under Southern Exposure’s building as well. Marboe mixed the clay with water to create a slip, and has used this slip to print a letter to Ireland and trace a path between the two buildings, speaking to the continued influence of Ireland’s work on artists and art spaces throughout the area.

In conjunction with the public opening of the David Ireland House by 500 Capp Street Foundation the nearby art center Southern Exposure presented new works by three local contemporary artists that responded to the late conceptual artist. A seminal figure in the Bay Area art community from the 1970s onward, Ireland is known for his site-specific installation works, most notably his residence at 500 Capp Street. The projects by Kari Marboe, Minji Sohn, and Haegen Crosby, highlighted the continued strong influence on young artists of Ireland’s collaborative relationship to material and his commitment to process and repetition.