Silence, 2009
Approximate Size:
7′ x 5′ x 1.5′ (H x W x D)
Materials:
Second-hand clothing, wood, sand, glue, closet with door (installation)
Description:
This site specific installation was created for System:System, an exhibition within an unoccupied 19th century convent.
The show was curated by Adam Henry and Christina Vassallo of Super Square and Random Number.
In a former nun’s quarters, I filled a doorway with second-hand clothing, walling off an interior space. Garments reclaimed from previous projects were randomly ordered, resulting in distinct value layers (which you can see if you squint a bit). More than any other work I have created, this piece reminds me of a geological cross-section.
I named this piece silence to address my mixed feelings about religion. On the one hand, I am regularly discriminated against by various religious leaders and individuals for being gay. On the other hand, I was raised a Christian. I’ve been the benefactor of Christian generosity (the space granted for this show for example). In the context of this heavily symbolic space, silence refers to self-oppression, to a spiritual vow of silence and also to the fact that these works absorb sound.
