Breathe Before - Installation Series

This wall installation series is an exploration of marks, color, and symbolism across a repeated harmonious form. The surfaces come from wax crayon rubbings collected from a variety of sources, which include Kansas City’s oldest cemetery, an Illinois family homestead from the mid-1800’s, Rome, and a small Catholic church in the prairie. They are the textures of mosaics, cracked concrete, tomb markings, and aged barn wood. When making a rubbing, it records the texture and shapes of the source; our hands and fingertips know our surroundings by touch which declares an intimacy more direct than sight. The pieces also feature parabolas – a shape for me that holds a beautiful tension and enigmatic movement. The work’s invitation is to explore and to get lost in its nuances and interpretive potentials.

 Transition Iteration

Birth/growth iteration

Threshold/Transformation Iteration

Death/degeneration iteration

Breathe Before: Iteration 2

Iteration 1

         The goal of the initial iteration (Iteration 1) of the “Breathe Before” forms was to create a calming visual field of forms that viewers could get lost within. Using the paintings of Agnes Martin as a reference, I chose a gentle palette of 18 different colors with very subtle temperature differences. These subtle temperature nuances caused the installation to visually dance or vibrate when seen from a distance. Up close, the designs and material qualities pulled viewers in for a more intimate viewing experience. Overall, the subtle pieces paired with the color field created a sense of visual peace.