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Create and Destroy
Site specific installation at the Spalding House Contemporary Art Center, August-December 2018, and in collaboration with Janet Tran.
In 2019, I was invited to create an art installation that made use of the vast quantity of old books, stored in the basement of the museum and slated for disposal.
The elaborate and intricate stacking method I used, played with the visual overload of the massive piles of discarded books. However, like the books themselves, within the chaos of the external lies an order — a message that can be deciphered by a closer glance.
The books are stacked such that only a few spines face outward, while the rest of the books have their pages facing outward. Lining up the spines, large letters begin to take shape.
The letters spell out a phrase written by poet, philosopher, John O’Donohe: “the silence of another world waits.”
In this context the silence references both the silencing of the written word in the destruction of the books, but also the fact that the act of reading is a silent act. And, though silent, the act of reading leads us into another world — one of infinite capacity.
Adding to the complexity of this piece, tucked into the nooks and crevices of this sculptural book stack, are poems written about the importance of books and reading by contemporary and historical writers. A few of the poems were written by colleagues of mine in direct response to the action of making this installation.
More information: Create & Destroy as part of The World Reflected exhibition.
In 2019, I was invited to create an art installation that made use of the vast quantity of old books, stored in the basement of the museum and slated for disposal. The elaborate and intricate stacking method I used, played with the visual overload of the massive piles of discarded books. However, like the books themselves, within the chaos of the external lies an order — a message that can be deciphered by a closer glance.
The books are stacked such that only a few spines face outward, while the rest of the books have their pages facing outward. Lining up the spines, large letters begin to take shape. The letters spell out a phrase written by poet, philosopher, John O’Donohe: “the silence of another world waits.”
In this context the silence references both the silencing of the written word in the destruction of the books, but also the fact that the act of reading is a silent act. And, though silent, the act of reading leads us into another world — one of infinite capacity.
Adding to the complexity of this piece, tucked into the nooks and crevices of this sculptural book stack, are poems written about the importance of books and reading by contemporary and historical writers. A few of the poems were written by colleagues of mine in direct response to the action of making this installation.
More information: Create & Destroy as part of The World Reflected exhibition.
A video of the installation process (both Ava Fedorov and Janet Tran) includes original music composed by cellist, Anna Callner Pare, at the installation site.