Asphyxiator, 2019

The University of Southern Mississippi

Project Overview

Acrylic, graphite, tape on hand-cut paper, flagging tape, construction fencing, light

Installed at The Museum of Art at University of Southern Mississippi, Hattiesburg, MS. as part of a two-person show with Susan Palmisano titled In Essence of Being. The exhibition was curated by USM Museum Director, Mark Rigsby. Installation was made possible with the help of Andrea Kostyal and her assistants.

Colored Light

By altering the color of shadows, light is essentially used as a form of painting on the walls. Some of the colored shadows are layered and cast onto paper components, creating a trompe l’oeil effect—an element of the installation that is conceptually significant.

Extending Across Walls

The landscape-like image is strewn across gallery walls through the use of light and shadow, pattern repetition, and color. Paper forms that cast shadows like birds relate to the poem, Asphyxiator. Viewers are able to enter and exit the installation from three different points, allowing for three different walk-through experiences of the artwork.

Monochromatic Stencils

The use of black and white stenciling of components across the outside of a three-wall scrim alludes to the shape and form of the enclosed installation. It also gives the eye a place to rest on the outside, amplifying a chaotic storm of color on the inside.

Repeated Motifs

The construction fencing is a pattern that is repeated throughout the installation. At some points it is like a dragon’s scales, at others it alludes to a beehive, waffle pattern, or tiles. At times the construction fencing reveals itself in its true form, reminding the viewer of its utilitarian purpose. Whereas sometimes the motif is flattened against a wall or more dynamic in the form of cut paper. It appears and disappears, much like the lights and shadows in the piece, always keeping the viewer guessing about the reliability of our immediate perceived reality.