You are Supported More Than You Know is both the title of this exhibition at Mercury 20 Gallery in 2019 and the name of the sculptural pillow installation that spans the wall from floor to ceiling. The pillow is a means for support for one’s head and a metaphor for one’s dreams. There’s a bit of mystery in how it all works. The title comes from an understanding that when one decides to follow curiosity or pursue passion, the world opens up and offers a wealth of support. The stack of pillows is reminiscent of the Hans Christian Andersen tale, The Princess and the Pea. The princess gets her prince in the end but only in her courage to speak her truth.
These previous three works speak of awkwardness or lack of understanding. Situated in a corner, the large unwieldy form, Over One’s Head as performed by The Rub represents a difficulty or obstacle. Originally situated atop a nightstand, The Rub now performs high above one’s head. The title is inspired by Hamlet’s soliloquy: Hamlet, Act III, Scene I excerpt (To be, or not to be):
To die, to sleep;
To sleep: perchance to dream: ay, there’s the rub;
For in that sleep of death what dreams may come
~William Shakespeare
It’s often not until my work is installed that I understand it more fully. Through Thick and Thin is a portrait of my marriage. The bedsheets speak of intimacy and their blue color is associated with faithfulness, depth and stability. Cut into narrow strips, sewn together and stuffed, the bedsheets become a bloated tube resembling entrails or the innermost part of something. Intestines are the part of the body most closely connected with intuition or inner knowing. The continuous line of fiber spans floor to ceiling forming u-shaped curves. As I cross the threshold of my height, I walk into an intimate space that separates me from the rest of the gallery. I am protected here and have the space I need.
Pinned away from the wall, black strips of decayed material are loosely knitted together, forming a long narrow tapestry with gaping holes. Worn out, the fabric hangs by mere threads and tiny bits of material form a small pile in a dustpan on the floor.
Originally, this was a favorite sweater of mine, one I wore beyond its useful life. I remember buying the pullover in an upscale boutique but later upon looking at the tag, I discovered it was actually from J. Jill. Slightly surprised that I had conflated multiple experiences, I realize that my memory, like this material, is also subject to erosion over time.
Multiple capped pipes stick out of a wall of the City College of San Francisco Art Gallery. Painted in a effort to blend into the white walls, these pipes no longer serve their original purpose and speak of rejection, restriction and unrealized potential. How might I honor these aborted conduits by means of material extension and offer them support and encouragement to dream?
The three intestinal-like coils made of bedsheets and unwanted wool thread represent perseverance and stamina in getting through difficulty and achieving seemingly impossible dreams.
Reverie is inspired by the joy I had of experiencing conduits sounding like wind chimes. From further away the gold color elevates the pipes and is a metaphor for success. At a closer distance, the shoddy paint job is a reminder that success isn’t always what it’s cracked up to be. The pillows hold the offering of a stick to hit the pipes against each other to experience life’s simple joys in this moment.