Mad River Tunnel: Entrance and Exit was completed in 1981 on a site along the Mad River in Dayton, Ohio, as part of the Dayton City Beautiful program for temporary outdoor installations. I chose the Mad River because it flows not only through Dayton but also through Springfield, Ohio, where I was born. While visiting Dayton to explore possible sites along the river, the car I had been riding in jumped gear while parked and ended up partly submerged in the middle of the river, headlights shining up through the water and illuminating the opposite bank. It was an unforgettable image. I imagined that the car, believing in a tunnel under the Mad River, was proceeding confidently toward the far side of the river. I decided that I would make the entrance and the exit to that imaginary tunnel. The piece consisted of two structures, one on each side of the river, each proclaiming its function in green neon. The imaginary tunnel stretched between. I had hoped to return to Dayton to set up a system using the river’s current to provide power for a small light that would illuminate the interior of the structure, but before this was possible, the piece was pipe-bombed and burned to the ground.
