Process in Progress

Best Thing Since Sliced Bread: Sr. Art Thesis Exhibition 2018

Title:    Rip

       Crumple

             Tear

         Fold                                                  

          Stack

      String

         …repeat 

Material: Books, Cotton cord, Plywood, Thread, Audio file, Speaker

Artists Statement:

This installation calls into question the experience of language, reading, and visual processing. The individual pieces collectively create an unconventional library composed of cook books, atlases, gardening guides, photography catalogs, etc. The creation of each piece began with an act of deconstruction; page by page, the books were ripped, altered, and then finally re-assembled. The process of creating these pieces reflects the variety of methods individuals use to break down and absorb information. While some people can read an article and immediately digest what they encounter, others might have to read that same article multiple times or need to listen to the words out loud to obtain the same level of understanding. In particular, people with learning disabilities and processing “issues” can find performing academically in a textually-oriented system to be an uphill battle. By removing the text from the viewer’s gaze, and thus making it inaccessible, the pieces present the viewer an altered way of “reading”. The new “text” is now legible in the texture and color relationships found in the individual pieces, as well as in the interactions between them. This space invites visitors to engage with the library of suspended objects and observe their own processing in progress. 

Documentation of each step of the making process: