About The Work

For the past ten years I’ve made most of my work by stapling found textiles—often bedspreads and carpets—to the walls using thousands of metal staples. Parts of the fabric and the staples are then removed and sometimes reapplied, leaving a residue of shredded fabric and perforated wall surface in some areas, and densely stapled and built-up areas elsewhere. In these “sculptural drawings” staples act as mark and material, penetrating, distressing, and ornamenting the skin of the wall. The progressively dematerialized image, articulated by metal staples and fabric residue, seems to be simultaneously emerging from and disappearing into the wall. Staples mimic the patterns and weave of the fabric, and a kind of binary language emerges—staple being analogous to stitch.

As an act of making, the work takes place within the larger continuum of human technology. It is process-based in the sense that it is a product of action and reaction—an act that generates form that generates another act, and so on. New form emerges from the remains of old. Large bedspreads reference the monolithic rectangles of abstract painting as well as bed and body, and I find myself riffing off of artists like Frank Stella, Sol Lewitt, and Mark Rothko. A series of pieces made with Persian-type carpets speaks to my frustration with current geopolitical crisis as well as to issues of value and display, collection and loss. I’ve become extremely interested in the history of labor, capital, industrialization and technology, as characterized by development and change in the textile industry.

My materials, often cheap, tacky, or discarded household items and fabric, challenge conventions of taste and beauty and draw attention to how art and design migrate throughout culture, from high to low and back again, reinterpreted by industry to meet the needs of different markets and trends. My work negotiates a thin line between attraction and repulsion, pain and pleasure, vulgar and sublime. I am fascinated by the way form is generated by growth and decay, construction and destruction. My work has a relationship to Modernism which is both reverent and irreverent. This is the language I grew up with, but have never felt ownership of. To the extent that I operate from a position of alienation, my relationship to both high and low culture remains vicarious.

Site-specific projects are a large part of my practice. Each site has its challenges: formal, conceptual, and practical. Curiosity and desire confront the demands of the physical and institutional world—space, time, and resources. For me this relationship is crucial to the realization of a project. Recently I’ve become interested in altering the spaces in which I work as well as their surfaces. I’ve been designing and building new walls on which to mount my panels. In these works there is no one privileged view; one’s vantage point shifts as the piece is traversed.


EDUCATION

  • SUNY, Alfred, NY MFA
  • Bennington College, Bennington, VT. BA

SOLO AND TWO PERSON EXHIBITIONS

  • 2011 Lmak Projects, New York
  • 2010 Romantic Subtractions, Artist Book Program, BravinLee Programs, New York February 5th thru April 17th
    The Elephant in the Room, New/Now Gallery, New Britain Museum of American Art, New Britain, Connecticut
  • 2009 Un-Warped and De-Weft, Daum Museum, Sedalia, Missouri, (catalogue)
  • 2008 Catherine J. Smith Gallery, Boone, North Carolina
  • 2007 Making Traces, LMAK Projects, New York, with Lieven DeBoeck
    Plaid, Smack Mellon, Brooklyn, New York
    W(e)ave , Aldrich Museum, Ridgefield, Connecticut, Collaboration with Michael Schumacher
  • 2006 Wallscape, Gahlberg Gallery, College of Dupage, Glen Ellyn, Illinois, (catalogue)
    Civilization and its Discontents, Herbert F. Johnson Museum, Ithaca, New York
    So Bennington, Usdan Gallery, Bennington, Vermont, with Eve Sussman
  • 2002 Negative Capability, Diverse Works, Houston, Texas
  • 2001 Material Matrix, Richard L. Nelson Gallery, UC Davis, Davis, CA
  • 2000 GAGA, New York, NY,
  • 1999 Mercer Union, Toronto, Canada, with Dianna Frid
  • 1998 P.P.O.W. Gallery, New York, NY
    The Carpet Paradigm, Ezra and Cecile Zilkha Gallery, Wesleyan University, Middletown, CT
    Florence Lynch Gallery, New York, NY,
  • 1997 Momenta Art, Brooklyn, NY,
  • 1995 Black and Herron, New York, NY, Inaugural exhibition

SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITION

  • 2011 Extended Drawing, Tegnerforbundet, Oslo, Norway
  • 2010 The Jewel Thief, Tang Museum, Saratoga Springs, New York, September 18, 2010 thru February 27, 2011
    Art on Paper 2010: The 41st Exhibition, Weatherspoon Art Museum, Greensboro, North Carolina November 7, 2010 – February 6, 2011
    String Theory, Storefront Gallery, Brooklyn, New York, August 27 thru September 12
    Out of Line, Slag Gallery, New York, New York
  • 2009 Workspace Program 2008-2009, Dieu Donne Paper Mill, New York
    Apparently Invisible, Drawing Center, New York, New York (catalogue)
    Motion Blur, Gustavsbergs Konsthalle, Gustavsbergs, Sweden (catalogue)
    By a Thread, Elizabeth Harris Gallery, New York, New York
    Structured Simplicity, Dumbo Art Center, Brooklyn, NY
    Collectif Generation, Cit du Livre, Aix en Provence, France
  • 2008 Perverted by Theatre, Apex Art, New York
  • 2007 Ho Hum all Ye Faithful, Bravin Lee, New York, New York
    Material Pursuits, Robert Hull Fleming 2005
    Museum, Burlington Vermont (catalogue)
    K3, Zurich, Switzerland, curated by Rolf Staub
    Radical Lace and Subversive Knitting, Museum of Art and Design, New York, (catalogue)
    Intelligent Design, Momenta Art, Brooklyn NY
    Sitings, South Eastern Center for the Contemporary Arts, Winston-Salem, N. Carolina
  • 2006 Grendel, Jack the Pelican Presents, at Old Green Supermarket, Miami
    Studio in the Park, Riverside Park, NY, curated by Karin Bravin (catalogue)
    Regeneration Room, LMAK Projects, Brooklyn, NY
    Thread Bare, Kleinert/James Art Center, Woodstock, New York
    Up Against the Wall, Zilkha Gallery, Wesleyan University, Middletown, Ct.
  • 2005 Surface Charge, Anderson Gallery, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond Virginia, curated by Gregory Volk and Sabine Russ, (catalogue)
    In Practice, The Sculpture Center, Long Island City, New York
  • 2004 Reykjavik Art Museum, Reykjavik, Iceland, (catalogue)
    Impact, PPOW Gallery, New York, curated by Jason Murison
    Open House: Working in Brooklyn, Brooklyn Museum of Art, Brooklyn, New York, (catalogue)
    Wry Material, Jack the Pelican Presents, Brooklyn, New York
  • 2003 Decade, Schroeder Romero Gallery, Brooklyn, New York
    Custom Fit, Smack Mellon, Brooklyn, New York
  • 2002 NextNext, Brooklyn Academy of Music, Brooklyn, New York, curated by Dan Cameron
    New York, New Work, Now, Currier Gallery of Art, Manchester, New Hampshire
    Archipelago, Museum of Contemporary Art, Denver
    FIT, Schroeder Romero, Brooklyn, New York
    Residuum, Cheryl Pelavin Fine Art, New York
    Sub-basement, Front Room, Brooklyn, NY
  • 2001 Urban Nature, Goteborgs Konsthall, Gothenberg, Sweden, (catalogue)
    Flesh, Fervor, Fancy, SOO Visual Arts Center, Minneapolis, Minnesota (catalogue)
    Out of Line and Over the Top, P.S. 122, N.Y., New York curated by Susan Canning
    She Lives on Love Street, Cheryl Pelavin Fine Art, New York
    Group Show, PROJECTSpace, Toronto, Canada
    Group Show, Flip Side, Brooklyn, NY,
    Spitting Image, University of Connecticut, Stamford, curated by Cindy Roznoy
    Cross Pollination, Holland Tunnel Gallery, Brooklyn, NY (traveling exhibition)
  • 2000 End Papers, Neuberger Museum of Art, Purchase, NY (catalogue)
    Fixations, John Michael Kohler Arts Center, Sheboygan, WI (catalogue)
    Five Sculptors, Long Island University, Brooklyn, NY, Curated by Joe Amhrein
    Yard Sale, Downtown Arts Project, curated by Barbara Pollack
    From Rags to Riches, Fondattion de la Tapisserie des Arts, Tournai, Belgium,(catalogue)
    Out of Line, im n iL Gallery, Brooklyn, NY
    Trunk Show, Zoller Art Gallery, Penn State University
  • 1999 Group Show, White Columns, New York
    Group Show, Feed Gallery, Brooklyn, N.Y.
    Cremolata Flotage, Staten Island Ferry, New York, NY curated by Sue Spaid
    Archipelago: an Intimate Immensity, Arti Et Amicitiae, Amsterdam, the Netherland
    Mealy Mouthed Materials, Charismatic Shapes and Other Funny Stories, The Gibson Gallery, The State University of New York at Potsdam, Traveling exhibition (catalogue)
  • 1998 Group Show, P.P.O.W. Gallery, New York, N.Y.
    Fashioned, White Box, New York, N.Y. (traveling exhibition, catalogue)
    May 17, 1998, The Cornwall Estate, Cold Spring, N.Y
  • 1997 Current Undercurrents, Brooklyn Museum, Brooklyn, NY
    Fragments in Time, Clementine Gallery, New York,NY.
    Sweet and Low, Sherry Frumkin Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
    Just What Do You Think You’re Doing, Dave? Williamsburg Art Center, Brooklyn, NY.
    Traces 57 Hope St, curated by Omar Lopez-Chahoud, Brooklyn, NY.
    Annie Herron Productions and Stefanelli Gallery, Art Exchange Show, New York, NY
    Suture, Rotunda Gallery, Brooklyn, NY
    Consumer Detox, Curated by Dan Devine, Rosenberg Gallery, Hofstra University
  • 1996 Nicole Klagsbrun, Grammercy International Art Fair, NYC
    Installations, Sol Lewitt, Lisa Hein, Elana Herzog, Saint Marks Position, New York
    Brookworld, curated by Cindy Tower, Thompson St., NY
    The Art Exchange Show, Annie Herron Productions, New York, NY.
    1996 Outdoor Invitational, ART/OMI, Omi, New York, NY. (catalogue)
    Swag and Puddle, The Workspace, New York, N.Y
    Invitational, Fine Arts Work Center, Provincetown, MA.
  • 1995 Oooze, Black and Herron Space, New York, NY
    Between This and That, Eighth Floor, New York, NY
    Carriage House Projects, Islip Museum, East Islip, NY
    Material Abuse, curated by Mark Harris, Trans Hudson, NJ. (catalogue)
    What’s the Connection? Trans Hudson Gallery, NJ
    The Crest Hardware Show, curated by Gene Poole, Brooklyn, NY.
  • 1994 Family Ties, PPOW, New York, NY
    Chilean Biennial, Valparaiso, Chile, (catalogue)
    Random Access Ramnarine, Long Island City, NY
    The Concrete Voice, Leubsdorf Gallery, Hunter College, New York, NY. (catalogue)
    Beauty, Four Walls, the Back Room, New York, NY.
  • 1993 Kenny Schachter, Shooting Blanks, 81 Greene St., New York, NY
    Outside Possibilities '93, Curated by Bill Arning, The Rushmore Festival, Woodbury, NY
    55 Ferris Street, Curated by Frederieke Taylor, 55 Ferris Street, Brooklyn, NY
    Songs of Retribution, Curated by Nancy Spero, Richard Anderson Gallery, NY
    Idio Cognito, The Police Building, New York, NY. (catalogue).
    Chamber 1, Chamber, New York, NY
    Drawings from 55 Ferris St., Wynn Kramarsky, New York, NY
  • 1992 Ambiguous Pieces, White Columns, New York, NY
    10 Steps, Saul Ostrow and Horodner Romley Gallery, Muranushi Lederman, Inc. New York, NY
    Results Are In, Art In General, New York, NY
    Gallery, Dooley Le Cappelaine Gallery, New York, NY
    Set A/B, Tribeca 148 Gallery, New York, NY.
  • 1991 1991 Snug Harbor Sculpture Festival, Snug Harbor Cultural Center, Staten Island, NY
    Tribute to Stanley Rosen, Usdan Gallery, Bennington College, VT.
    Corner (the) Market, Organization of Independent Artists, New York, N Y.
  • 1990 Dream Machinations in America, Minor Injury Gallery, New York, NY
    Artists From The Studio in a School, Artist's Space, New York, NY.

GRANTS AND AWARDS

  • 2009 Anonymous Was A Woman Award
  • 2008 Lower Manhattan Cultural Council, Workspace Residency
  • 2008 Workspace Program, Dieu Donne Paper Mill, New York City
  • 2007 Louis Comfort Tiffany Foundation Award
  • 2007 Individual Artists Fellowship, New York Foundation for the Arts
  • 2004 Lillian Elliot Award
  • 2003 Lambent Fellowship in the Arts of the Tides Foundation
  • 1999 Individual Artists Fellowship, New York Foundation for the Arts
  • 1999 Joan Mitchell Foundation Grant

COLLECTIONS

  • Rare Book Collection , French National Library
  • Rauner Special Collections, Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire

TEACHING EXPERIENCE

  • Vermont Studio Center, Johnson, Vermont, Visiting Artist, 2011/2012 Season
  • State University of New York, Purchase, New York, visiting artists and lecturer, October 2010
  • Christie’s Education, Lecturer, May, 2010
  • Boston Museum School, Boston, Massachusetts,Visiting Artist and Lecturer, February, 2010
  • Rhode Island School of Design, visiting artist and lecturer, October 2009
  • Montclair State University, Montclair, New Jersey, visiting artist, fall 2009
  • Montclair State University, Montclair, New Jersey, Panelist, Working the Room, moderated by Matthew Nichols, April, 2009
  • Williams College, Williamstown, Massachusetts, visiting Lecturer, November 2008
  • Daum Museum, Sedalia Missouri, guest Lecturer, November 2008
  • Pace University, New York , New York, visiting artist , November 2008
  • Brooklyn College, New York, visiting artist and lecturer, October 2008
  • Appalachian State University, Boone, North Carolina, visiting artist and lecturer, September 2008
  • State University of New York, Purchase, New York, visiting artist and lecturer, October 2007
  • The Aldrich Museum of Contemporary Art, Ridgefield, Connecticut, May, 2007
  • State University of New York, Albany, New York, visiting artist and lecturer, April 2007
  • Rutgers University, New Brunswick, New Jersey, Visiting Artist and Lecturer, October, 2006
  • Syracuse University, Syracuse, New York, Visiting Artists, October 2005
  • Virginia Commonwealth University, Visiting Artist, Richmond Virginia, July 2005
  • Bennington College, Bennington, Vt., Visiting Artist, May, 2005
  • Maryland Institute College of Art, visiting instructor, Spring, 2005
  • Cornell University, Visiting Artist and Lecturer, February 2005
  • Reykjavik Art Academy, Reykjavik, Iceland, Lecturer, November 2004
  • Montclair University, Guest Lecturer, October 2004
  • Maryland Institute College of Art, Visiting Artist, September 2004
  • New York University, Fundamentals of Sculpture, Spring 2004
  • Chicago Art Institute, Visiting Artist, October 2002
  • New School University, New York, Instructor, Drawing and Painting, Spring 2002
  • University of California, Davis, Visiting Artist, February, 2001
  • Rhode Island School of Design, Visiting Artist, November, 2000
  • Hartwick College, Oneonta, NY, Guest Lecturer, October 2000
  • Colgate University, Hamilton, NY, Guest Lecturer, September 2000
  • Montclair State University, Instructor, NJ, Graduate Mini-Seminar, March 2000
  • Princeton University, New Jersey, Visiting Artist
  • University of Connecticut, Stamford, Guest Lecturer, April 1999
  • School of Visual Arts, New York, Guest Instructor, Graduate Sculpture, October 1998
  • Fine Arts Work Center, Provincetown, Mass, Visiting Artist, April 1996
  • Pratt Institute, Visiting Artist, November 1995
  • Rhode Island School of Design, Visiting Artist, September 1995
  • Cooper Union, Outreach Program, Instructor Collaborative Outdoor Sculpture, July 1995
  • Universidad de Playa Ancha, Valparaiso, Chile, Guest Lecturer, November 1994
  • Studio in a School Association, New York, NY Artist/Instructor, 1989 – 1995
  • Cooper Union, Outreach Program, Instructor 3D Design, July - August. 1994
  • NYU, Guest Instructor, Foundations Sculpture, February - March 1994
  • Parson School of Design, Visiting Artist, Advanced Sculpture, Sept 1993
  • NYU, Guest Instructor, September 1993
  • Parsons School of Design, N Y, NY Guest Critic, Two Dimensional Design, 1992