Final Project: "I Once was a Tree"

This project, in many ways, made itself. The materials ultimately guided my artistic choices and even inspired me to deviate from my original concept.

The assignment was to make a collection and a means of display. I like to think of the lampshades as a collection of 3D frames (also a means of illumination), asking you to contemplate what's hung. The paper I used for the origami is actually pages from an encyclopedia of The Trees of North America, ironic right? The piece is, above all, a conversation about materials. Humans take and utilize natural resources so much, and when is or isn't that ok? Does being an artist give me license to rip apart a book, cut tree branches, rearrange them, and turn them into an installation? Contemplate that.

The gift of luck

For our generosity project I chose to give people the gift of luck. I left pennies face up everywhere I went, for people to find. The hope was that someone would stumble upon a penny with heads up and feel lucky the rest of the day. It was a simple, whimsical, and rewarding project.

10 Day Performance Piece: "Long-Distance Cultivation"

This project has to do with something very personal: maintaining relationships over long distances. It more specifically has to do with staying in touch with my family, & the intentional cultivation that is required to keep bonds alive. 

Each day I would hang a paper lantern and plant lavender in a terra-cotta pot while singing Edelweiss. Each element of this meditative ritual was important. To begin with, the lanterns are a symbol of illumination, shedding light on the concept of "Long-Distance Cultivation." The lavender plants are a reminder of home; I have very strong associations with the lavender that grows in our yard, lavender lemonade in the summer, and the lavender lotion my mom loves. Thus, the lavender plants are about home & family. Yet, they are far from the sun, soil, and water they need to thrive. They are living things that require time and care to maintain, just like relationships. I miss you who are far away! 

P.S. There are five people in my family, so five pots with 10 plants (one for each day) is also very fitting. 

Sacrilege or Sweet Truth?

"Beauty is truth, truth beauty--that is all ye know on earth, and all ye need to know"
~John Keats