Repetition Project: Burned Out

I found a very large, heavy bronze lamp on the side of the road and realized it was perfect for my project. After making a mold of a light bulb out of alginate, I inserted wicks and poured microwavable soy wax into it, making 3 light bulb shaped candles. Before class, I burned one of them down, allowing the wax to drip down the lamp, just as I hoped it would. Because the wick was off-center, the candle burned down, leaving a shell that recalled the original shape—another happy accident. I presented the piece in a nearly dark room and invited the class to watch my ritual—lighting the stub, watching it burn down slowly until it extinguished itself, then replacing it with another candle.
This symbolized the artificiality of both counterfeits of the sun—candles and their more modern replacement—light bulbs.

One Light, One Corner: Listen; there’s a hell of a good universe next door;let’s go.

The title of this piece is a line from an e.e. cummings poem that begins “Pity this busy monster manunkind.” I made a sign and placed it on the door to the back stairs, which is where I strung gold and silver paper stars down along the side of the wall in an effort to create another universe, one that would allow people to escape reality and suspend their disbelief, an effort that constantly runs through my work. I hope to recreate this universe with dozens more stars, as I was a little disappointed with how few I could make in the allotted time.

Time and Motion: Remember to Forget

Inspired by the movie Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, I set out to create a cardboard machine that could accomplish the impossible task of erasing memories. It took the shape of a tape player, accompanied by several cardboard cassette tapes I enhanced with brown ink. (This was the first time I’ve embellished my cardboard machines, and I think it brought my idea further.) In order to operate it, you must record your memory in your own words, rewind, and press the MEMORY OBLITERATOR button. Though it seems like an easy way out, in order to erase a memory, you must first confront it.

Final Project: Slips of Paper

This project began as a whim—which I decided to entertain. Still, the concept fits with my semester of work. I’d been playing with paper for the majority of my projects, making it take on a 3-D form, while trying to instill in my objects a function that displayed my power as an artist to compel others to believe that my objects can accomplish the functions I assign to them. In this particular piece, I used tissue paper to create paper underwear. Instead of imposing a purpose on an object I translated into paper, I removed one. These paper undergarments are functionless, so I hung them from string I crisscrossed in the stairway, another favorite exhibition location. I think I ultimately succeeded in creating a whimsical piece that brought me joy and allowed me to explore new techniques and ways of approaching assignments.