D I A S P O R A
— b l u e t a r p & f i s h i n g l i n e i n s t a l l a t i o n | m a y 2 0 1 3 —
This installation was a collaboration I did with my friend Ellen Cline. It is entitled Diaspora, which specifically refers to the dispersion of Jews beyond Israel, but is also defined as "any group that has been dispersed outside its traditional homeland, especially involuntarily." Ellen has lived in a number of places throughout her life, and although I have stayed pretty constant in my location throughout my life, we have both experienced the pain and confusion of temporary homes, whether physical, relational, or cultural. The Christian faith teaches that our home is with Christ in heaven and that all things of this world will fade away; they may appear structurally sound, but like this piece, they are fragile and cannot truly protect you whatsover. We chose to work with fishing line to allow for a dispersion effect and blue tarp because of its connotations with moving and sheltering.
"If you make the Most High your dwelling—
even the LORD, who is my refuge—
then no harm will befall you,
no disaster will come near your tent."
Psalm 91:9-10
I A N D Y O U
— t y p o g r a p h i c i n s t a l l a t i o n o f w o o d e n t a b l e & c h a i r s , s i l v e r w a r e ,
f a b r i c , d r e s s m a k e r ' s p i n s , & b e a d s | a p r i l 2 0 1 3 —
U N I O N U N I V E R S I T Y 2 0 0 8
T O R N A D O R E M E M B R A N C E
— t y p o g r a p h i c i n s t a l l a t i o n | f e b r u a r y 2 0 1 3 —
These two typography installations were commissioned to remember the 2008 tornado that hit Union University's campus. Although the campus was nearly destroyed and multiple people injured, no one was killed, and the LORD has used the last five years to strengthen the university and grow stronger, more Christ-centered community. The words restoration and hope have been spoken frequently when referring to what has happened, so I decided to do large-scale installations of the words themselves in Barefoots Joe, an on-campus coffee shop established soon after the tornado. Both pieces were created discarded cardboard, reminiscent of restoration, and were strengthened with the value shifts in charcoal as well as the collaged university newspaper.
R E N E W A L (cardboard & charcoal)
H O P E (cardboard & newspaper)
I D O N ' T W A N T I T T O B E E A S Y .
— f i n g e r p a i n t e d r o c k i n s t a l l a t i o n | m a y 2 0 1 2 —
This installation was an exploration in color and its ability to draw attention. I chose to draw attention to different locations on Union University's campus that I would consider personal "holy places" where I remember the LORD teaching me and speaking to me. I chose three spots and used the primary colors—blue, yellow, and red—as my inspiration. I remember my childhood being filled with these colors, so I combined the traditional altar form of rocks and the childhood material of fingerpaint to comment on both the sacredness and sweetness of these spots—spots where I grow yet am so humbled with childlike joy beneath His hand. I chose to arrange the rocks in a dispersing circle to draw the eye in and cause an unbeknowngst presence to these sections of concrete.
L E T U S R E M A I N H E R E T O G E T H E R
— i n s t a l l a t i o n o f B r a d f o r d P e a r b l o s s o m s , t e a b a g e n v e l o p e s ,
s o i l , & w i l d f l o w e r s e e d s | m a r c h 2 0 1 2 —
This piece was inspired by the beauty of Bradford Pear blossoms and how quickly that beauty fades. For a week, I collected one blossom every few hours and pinned it to the wall. The recently pinned blossoms still appeared fresh and beautiful but were actually dead the moment they were cut from the branch; the inevitable effects of this death were not visible until later. On the other hand, the bottom line consists of more or less the same tea bag envelopes with soils and wildflower seeds. Although unchanging and unglamourous, true life lies here; these seeds are alive the moment they are laid in the soil. I was fortunate enough to actually see these plants come to life upon watering them as the cut ones continued to wilt.
"Remain in me [Jesus], and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing."
John 15:4-5
S T O R Y L I N E S
— i n s t a l l a t i o n o f p e n c i l s & d i s s a s s e m b l e d b o o k | m a r c h 2 0 1 3 —
This piece was created as an exploration of the element of space. I chose to study the idea of psychological versus physical space, particularly in books. I found an old copy of a book entitled "David the King" at an antique market and chose to rearrange the pages in such a way that the viewer recognized (1) the incredible length of a story and (2) the rhythm of the lengths of various chapters. The lines of pages were hung by pencils.
