Hang-Ups 2016-2019
Hang-Ups, the title of this body of work, describes how the knotted cord sculptures I’m making are literally hung from the ceiling while also suggesting vague emotional complications.
Each Hang-Up presents an assortment of familiar objects attached to a network of knotted cord. When looking at these pieces it’s easy to see how they’re made; tightly wound, knot-by-knot, yet they still seem slightly ungainly and wobbly. These cord sculptures are constructed using an intuitive mix of patterns I find in 60s era macramé books. From today’s perspective macramé might seem dated or cliché but I’m interested in its counterculture roots and the possibility of new readings. I’ve updated the customary jute to an array of synthetic, colorful cords and make unique irregular pieces rather than strictly following the traditional symmetrical patterns.
I select the objects combined within the knotted forms from my growing collection of manufactured, natural, and handmade things such as watches, gourds and abandoned student ceramic projects, with working light bulbs animating some of the pieces. All of the everyday things in the Hang-Ups are rendered nonfunctional and instead begin to operate as parts of open-ended narratives. The sculptures function best when shown in clusters of three or more, allowing the objects and forms in one piece to play off those in the other works. The installations are accompanied by an audio track made from field recordings of ambient sounds sometimes made on site or from around the neighborhood where my studio is located.
