Art form: 2-D, 3-D, Performance

Medium: Mixed Media/Installation

Year created: 2008

Description of work: This installation has variable dimensions and ranges in size from 8’ x 20’- 20’ x 30’. The designated space is decorated with furniture and household goods I accumulated over the course of a year via craigslist, eBay, & thrift shops. I lay flooring and/or paint walls, then move my possessions into the space and arrange and rearrange until I feel settled. The space consists of multiple sitting areas, some more intimate and some more communal.With a larger allotted space, I can introduce a dining table/chairs, which aids in creating an established, lived-in space. Drawings that document the acquired objects and the details of each purchase line the walls. While in the space, I initiate a variety of domestic activities from brewing coffee to offering baked goods, sharing crock-pot style meals to screening some of my favorite movies.All become activities the visitor is welcomed to participate in and are gestures offering personal connections. I would be present for a majority of the time.

Work statement: While living in a small studio apartment in a small town in which I was not invested, I was compelled to accumulate domestic furnishings that created an illusion of contentment. By acquiring and storing household goods my longing for a social space of my own felt attainable. Ironically though, by collecting these possessions I was less able to entertain and connect with others in my home.

"The Space Between Us" is an installation that explores relational aesthetics and directs our focus away from the notion of the discrete art object and toward being present in the space and participating in
what occurs.

The purpose is to create an experience that fosters social connections and explores the dynamics of converging personal and public spaces, specifically in art institutions and galleries that often lack an
inviting quality. The vintage furnishings that decorate my ‘home’ evoke a sense of nostalgia and trigger an unexpected element of comfort for visitors.