Mixed-media gallery installation
Dimensions: 7 ft. (W) x 7 ft. (L) x 9 ft. (H)
Materials: Wood, used clothing, plastic ties, concrete, text, paint
Completed: 2016
This project marks my inaugural attempt at establishing a dialectical relationship between my art practice and the myriad issues that afflict the streets of east Vancouver. To create a striking visual presence, I constructed two 9-foot-tall plinths from wood, positioning them upright near the front windows of the gallery, angled slightly apart to invite curiosity and interaction from outside passersby.
Vinyl text was applied to the front of each plinth, ensuring that the messages were visible from the street outside the windows. I collected used clothing from the streets of the surrounding area that I then twisted and bound together with inexpensive plastic ties, forming long, tendril-like wrappings. These tendrils were then fastened to the tops of each plinth and woven together, extending away from the back of each structure and draping over stacked concrete blocks approximately three feet high. Beneath the plinths, excess clothing, shoes, concrete blocks and debris are nestled in a loose pile.