Consequence of Indulgence (Spontaneous Installation)

"Consequence of Self Indulgence"


I was in a time crunch and had to create something in a couple of days for an event at Penn State, Arts Crawl.  I decided to hang tulle from the walls and simply move all of my rejected materials onto the canopy.  These are basically all the materials that faculty have told me look too kitschy or do not veer far enough away from their real identity.  I didn't want to buy anything new to create this work, I just wanted to experiment with out the guilt of material cost.  Aesthetically I was thinking about coral reefs, conceptually, I'm not quite sure.  I'm planning on making each side of the canopy into worms by simply rolling them up and sewing them into a cylinder.

Happiness is Homemade

 

"Happiness is Homemade"

The blender has been wrapped in fuzzy yarn and pink string.  It sits on top of a foot stool that I have dusted in dry soap.  The cushion is made of stuffed paper towels.  The rug is made of loosely placed string.

Target Practice

Target Practice

Found table cloth, yellow lace fabric, red and white 

embroidery thread, metal embroidery hoops and house paint.

Not sure on the title yet.  When I first moved to Penn State I had flashbacks of playing sports in elementary and middle school.  Walking by so many fraternities and watching the members toss the football to each other reminded me of my interactions with boys as a child.  At this age I could keep up with and compete with boys, giving me a way to gain respect as an equal.  As I grew older it became more difficult for me to compete because I was physically limited by my size.  I still play games with my male friends, but none with large amounts of physical contact.  I've lost this connection with men through sports.
To make this work I bought a found table cloth from ebay.  After the yellow lace circle was attached to either side, I cut a hole and attached metal embroidery hoops.  The embroidery hoops sit in the center, suspended by red and white thread.  I hung this on a curtain rod and added long white tassels as a fringe.  The diamond painted on the floor mimics a baseball diamond or some strange gym floor.  The balls resemble red rubber dodge balls.  The shadows on the wall and floor were unanticipated but greatly welcomed.  

Enjoy the little things. For one day you may look back and realize they were the big things.

"Enjoy the little things. For one day you may look back and realize they were the big things."

Installation

materials:

Ivory Soap, sponges, dry soap, paper towels,

found table cloth, place mat, metal platter, table

and china dish

The title of the work comes from a quote that was placed on the wrapping of one of many Ivory soap bars used in the work, the quote is by Robert Brault.  I started this piece by buying the silver platter at a thrift store.  Originally I had planned on placing the lemon bar sponge cakes around the silver platter, making them resemble tiles.  After I finished making the sponge cakes I liked the way they looked on the platter.  I also liked the idea of the fancy silver platter serving the object that cleans it.  I expanded on that idea by carving chocolates out of ivory soap and placing them in the pink dishes.  The china dish on the floor is filled with water, inviting the observer to kneel.  After getting the work into the space, I decided to paint the floor pink and used paper towels for wall paper.  The printed wall paper was made by placing a lace place mat over the towels and spray painting over it with pink.  The rug beneath the table is made from soap shavings.  The soap and the way it is treated causes the room to be overpowered with smell.  The smell is nice at first, but can be sickening if too much time is spent in the space. 

Pantyhose Installation Phase 2

I've been in my new studio at Penn State for about a week now and have gotten the time and space that I needed to start sewing pantyhose to rope. I used untreated rope that is commonly used for household things, such as tying up branches. I came to school with many pairs of pantyhose, but there weren't enough to make as many strands that I felt necessary. I ended up buying packs at Wal-Mart because there are only a few thrift stores here. I'm hanging these 5 strands in a room with a loop hook, tying it with a fisherman's knot. In the front of the room I'm placing a 1940's fan in front of the hanging strands...making them dance.


Mookie making my life more difficult.

Pantyhose Installation Planning

I will be leaving for grad school at Penn State in less than a month. I've been trying to gear my mind away from two dimensional work and towards sculpture. I'm inspired by everyday objects that reflect a behavior or way of life. Pantyhose is considered a woman's garment. They are uncomfortable and restricting, a garment meant for fashion and to hide blemishes, hair or scars. I'm unsure yet of the rope or twine that I will use and whether that will hold any conceptual significance.

The installation will consist of pantyhose legs sewn onto a string and strung horizontally from wall to wall. There will be a fan on the opposite side of the room, creating air movement to make the pantyhose legs dance in the wind. They will resemble prayer flags. Tibetan Buddhist prayer flags are traditionally hung outside homes and places of spiritual practice. When caught by the wind, they are said to spread luck and happiness to those around them. I am using pantyhose, a constricting garment that advertises beauty and fashion and giving it the movement of prayer flags. Bringing attention to the beautification of a housewife life by products like pantyhose. The line of pantyhose also begin to look like dead-fish hung from a line. While being beautiful, it also has an eery, uneasy feel.