Wall Stacks

I noticed earlier in the fall quarter that when people came into my studio, they were often attracted to my storage method for the paper and fragments I use in my drawings. So, I decided to see if it could actually be a piece. A lot of my recent questions have to do with how to present my work without over-utilizing my training in museum art installation. It seems like when I apply these conventions (how high to hang something, how to light it, how to label it, etc.), my work becomes static and less interesting. So, I used a lot of chance operations in hanging these. For instance, I put all the groupings of papers from the wall stacks on the ground, randomly hammered nails into the wall (pin on the donkey style), and then grabbed each group and put it on a nail. Normally I would be more compositional about it--the stacks would go from larger groups in back to smaller in front. Instead, the stacks became more interesting because you have to look from the side to see what might be underneath. I also like that there is so much hidden from our view. It reminds me of archaeology in a way; we can't know all of the treasures that lie in layers under our very feet. The random height also activates them and seems to make them more dimensional.