For Library Laundry: PAFA, each shelf in PAFA’s library was measured by me over the course of the final year of my MFA program. The horizontal space taken up by books on men and women artists was recorded and converted onto bedsheets, with the linear space for books on men physically cut out of the fabric. I also took note of how books were situated together on a shelf, recording moments of oddity or humor. What emerged amidst the bedsheets was a photographic diary of sorts; these were moments that felt poignant to me, and often the images turned out to be self portraits, or to be more precise, selfies.
The idea of taking up space is commonly considered by marginalized people, and the very act of doing so can be revolutionary.
The beauty of truth in well-collected data combined with the artistry of making that data visual is perhaps the core of where my science and art backgrounds intersect. With Library Laundry, I want to engage people in complicated conversations, while giving them multiple points of access so they can choose how they wish to engage. Creating a zine from the raw data collected is one of the ways I offered engagement with this installation.
The sheeting removed (which is the physical space taken by men artists on the library shelves) was sewn together into one long strip on a 1951 Singer 201 Centennial machine and piled onto a pedestal.
Cotton/poly sheeting, vintage thread, vintage tailor’s chalk (dimensions vary)
120 x 66 x 56 in
2023
Him: On Her was an image taken during normal library hours on a weekday, with a ten-second timer on my iPhone 11 pro, requiring both speed and dexterity to accomplish a decent photograph. Though I pondered this image for months, the format of its final iteration came to me in a dream the night before, and the execution of the library was relatively quick, requiring a few takes to get the photograph to my liking.
Archival Inkjet Print
42 x 31.75 in
2023
This print is in the permanent collection at the Woodmere Museum, Philadelphia, PA
Archival Inkjet Print
42 x 31.75 in
2023
Archival inkjet print
42 x 31.75
2023
Each vertical shelving unit in the library was measured on a single page in a notebook. These pages were scanned to create a two volume zine that accompanied the installation.
Library Laundry: PAFA
Notebook data, page 1
Ink on paper
2023
Library Laundry: PAFA
Notebook data, page 2
Ink on paper
2023
Library Laundry: PAFA
Notebook data, page 2
Ink on paper
2023