Installation Shots of CTW: Days 1-4

Constructing the Wissahickon

When I was asked to design and create an installation that was about sustainability, and inspired by Germantown Academy’s new green campus, I decided to build a topographical rendering of the Wissahickon Watershed out of recycled materials. I initially went to GA to collect all the cardboard boxes used in the move from the old buildings to the new green campus, with the idea of employing only recycled materials from the GA community. In searching for more textures and colors to contribute to the aesthetic of the piece, I went to a recycling center to find more materials that could represent a larger concept of moving, construction, and building on the GA campus. I had heard of a recycling center in Northeast Philadelphia called Revolution Recovery from a friend. I was told that the center was working on a project teaming with artists to develop a residency program where the artists would collect and utilize materials solely from their junkyard. Coincidentally, when I told the residency director about my project, she informed me that Revolution Recovery was the exact recycling center that had been contracted to pick up GA’s materials from their construction site! The materials I collected from the junkyard at Revolution Recovery could be the exact ones that came from the construction site at GA.

This cycle of materials, concern with service to the community, and interest in our impact on the environment align with GA’s objective of sustainable living, the mission of Revolution Recovery, and the theme of “Constructing the Wissahickon.” I am grateful to have had this opportunity to complement GA’s progressive plans with a project that shares those ideals.

Object Project

I installed Object Project. This piece is part of the new group show at Hamiltonian called: Private Practice: Bad Ideas, Dead Ends and Guilty Pleasures. The rules are (for the most part): the objects have to be similar in color, size and shape, and dissimilar in material and function. I spent a few months naming and collecting objects. A friend brought to my attention that this concept is a parallel to the homophones in the verbal world, and that I was able to translate it to the visual world. I was pretty excited when that was brought to my attention. Please share any pairs that you can think of! I plan on expanding the Object Project.

(im)Balance

(im)Balance is about the relationship between two very common substances that we deal with every day: salt and water. The installation shows the alternating dependency and dominance between them.

The effectiveness of water and salt in living things entirely depends on the presence of the other. But like most parasitic relationships, the two elements appear mutually destructive. (im)Balance shows relationship between these two natural, but inorganic materials and the result of their exchange.

Salt, a compound formed primarily by a positive ion and a negative ion, is a perfect example of the unyielding union of two natural complements. Water, the most ubiquitous substance on earth, bears its uniqueness and strength in its hydrogen bonding. While water and salt both embodying a strong structure, they affect and transform each other radically.

As the ice melts, a void slowly becomes apparent. The ambiguous, geological forms of salt remain. The void is the mark of the ice, its impact on the salt.

packing up

the staff is going to serve my used salt to the cows. im glad it is going to good use!

more balloons

balloons in the freezer

some of the other fellows have told me that they look forward to seeing the new colors of balloons in the freezer.