This installation consists of five pieces, each relating to the American Loneliness Epidemic. Many of the pieces are interactive in nature, inviting viewers to enter the space, take autonomy over their experience in the gallery, and fostering unique social interaction as a result.
This work was accompanied by intense research and development. It was presented at the Northeast Regional Honors Conference in Harrisburg, PA as well as the University of Hartford Undergraduate Colloquium in West Hartford, CT.
The exhibition was awarded the Anna Ball Pierce Award by the Visual Communication Design department for best undergraduate thesis installation.
The accompanying research, The American Loneliness Epidemic: Examining the Decline of 'Us' in the U.S. can be read here.
Here & Now (you are)
Laserjet printed paper, plastic binding
5’ x 5’ (each book 5.5” x 8.5”)
This piece is a variable, composite image created through the unification of 35 unique books. There are 9 unique color variations of the same image on each page. This piece supports one of my primary themes for my work: diverse parts coming together to create a cohesive whole. This piece also supports my goal of fostering viewer autonomy within my space. Because no two books are exactly alike, there is no one “right” way for it to appear. There is also no way to make it “wrong.”
This piece finds its greatest meaning when it is interacted with by viewers. Books only function in their true purpose when their pages are turned. The various colors encourage viewers to turn pages, discover what lies below the surface, experiment with arrangements, and leave a tangible record that they were, in fact, present in the here and now.
Hanging Out
Unbleached cotton muslin, water-based silkscreen ink
2’ x 13.5’
This piece is the epitome of connection. It fulfills multiple levels of unification. Not only does the design on the banners themselves embody one of my primary gallery goals of unique components combining to create a cohesive whole, but they also serve as an aesthetic unifier for my installation. They intersperse each zone of activity, simultaneously creating separation as well as a connection between them.
There were many conceptual elements in play during the process of making these pieces. The unification and separation of the fabric from the silk-screen matrix was a constant oscillation. The fabric was also printed in four foot wide sheets that were then separated into two even banners after printing. These process-based incorporations of the themes that have guided my work created a deep connection between these banners and the rest of my gallery that has been literally embedded into the fibers of the piece.
Stay a While
Fabric, upholstery foam, wood
Varied dimensions
Drawn directly from principles of relational aesthetics, this area is entirely activated by physical viewer interaction. Abstract, irregular shapes are in reality a seating and gathering area. With soft foam on all the surfaces and a sturdy wooden frame underneath the surface, they serve as a comfortable area that encourages rest within the space. The goal of this piece is to facilitate interpersonal connection. Relational aesthetics is not only when art derives meaning from viewers interacting with it; it is also when art derives meaning from viewers interacting with each other, activating the space the art creates.
These forms also support the goal of intentionally inhabiting a space. By encouraging pause, extended stay, and other types of connection in the gallery, its function as a third place is reinforced. Felt feet on the bottom of the forms also facilitate viewer autonomy by making the forms easy to move, allowing them to be re-arranged, pushed together, or separated as desired by viewers.
Reaching
Fabric, conductive thread, microprocessor, digital display
4’ x 7’
This piece involves digital physical integration and approaches concepts of barriers, connection, and isolation. Much of my research while developing this work focused on the way we interact with technology, and the way it changes how we interact with each other. This piece is the manifestation of this area of research. The sheet of fabric suspended in the space is a representation of the barriers we experience to interpersonal connection. Importantly, this barrier is permeable. It can be moved, morphed, pushed against, and even crossed altogether. By using capacitive touch technology, I have bridged the gap between the digital and physical realms. Through coding, I incorporated a variety of motion graphics that can be elicited from the screen by physical contact with different areas of the fabric.
All hands in (take this beyond these walls)
Folded paper
6.5” x 4.75”
Zines are folded pamphlets often associated with a by-the-people, for-the-people attitude and communicating thoughts or ideas. I have approached the zine here as my main thoroughfare of communication with viewers. It is a collection of thoughts that have been prevalent in my mind as I develop this installation. A closed book is a curious thing. So often what ends up inside it is vulnerable and things that we hope will otherwise remain hidden.
The zine also captured me because of its portability. They are economical to produce and small, allowing them to be handled, carried, and taken around. I hope that viewers will take their zine with them. By allowing this piece to leave the space I have created, my work effectively permeates the world around it. The zine is a conduit. It can break the space-time constraints of the gallery.
