Columbus Bonfire

"Columbus Bonfire"

hand sprayed paper, folding chair frame, pink bubble wrap, rocks spray painted gold

When I first moved away from Columbus, I got really homesick.  Not only for the people that I left, but for the memories that I had created.  I made this piece to commemorate my two girl friends, Amy and Sarah.  Sarah would always make us bonfires to sit around, it became a symbol for a safe and joyful place.  The piece has become a reliquary for my memory.  I used my collage techniques to create the fire and my sister and I collected the rocks from the Olentangy River.  I used lawn chairs and replaced the straps with pink bubble wrap.

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.