Intuition

Choices are made with a combination of cognition and intuition. In addition to my "Tools for Making Decisions," "In Between" includes 1000 paper bows which represent accumulated experience and memory, or the basis of intuition. When I was considering this aspect of the piece, my first thought was to make the bows in metal and maybe paint them white, but after talking with my students and Curtis Arima, one of the instructors at CCA, I realized metal was not appropriate. Curtis asked me "Why metal?" and I answered by saying I felt "obligated," and I knew right away, that obligation was not a good enough reason. Instead, paper was the right choice, a light-weight, ephemeral material. I used large Canson sheets in white with a bit of body to them and cut a few bows in different sizes until I found a size that felt right. I picked monofilament to hang them from and suspended long lengths from the skylight in the elevator. I left the ends of the monofilament uncut and tied the bows closer together as I reached the bottom.

It took two days to hang the bows, and at the end of the first day, I found myself delightfully surprised by what was happening as the bows moved and interacted with light from above. There was an unexpected gray-scale and a graphic quality, while the monofilament added extra visual detail and subtle light effects. The changes in light from day to night were also interesting to observe. I chose to pile several hundred bows on the floor of the elevator, as well, and hung a few pieces underneath the table itself, all to add to the feeling of accumulation. I wanted my memories, my intuition, to hover and surround the cognitive tools arranged on the table.

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In Between

In Between is my first site-specific, mixed-media installation and it stuns me every time I look at pictures of it or even think about it. I remember standing in disbelief under all those bows when the installation was complete... I stared up and around and thought to myself, "I made this. I can't believe I made this."

The three week journey to get there was challenging and scary and wonderful. When I began my residency at CCA the only ideas I had for the piece focused on transition, a place I'm very familiar with. Through research, serious thinking and drawing I expanded from transition to how we make decisions to the idea of choice. I read about cognition and intuition and the senses, all things that help us make decisions. I combined these ideas with thoughts of place and created nine necklaces and 1000 paper bows. The necklaces include made, found, and altered objects that serve as tools to aid in the cognitive aspects of decision making. The paper bows, suspended from the ceiling and piled on the floor, represent experience and memories, the components of intuition. I also relied on the use of multiples, and accumulation, collecting and arranging.

And while I was making In Between, I juggled a long commute, lectures and crits, and being social as much as I could. Doubt and insecurity were present, alongside excitement and anticipation, and I had this feeling of wanting to do everything as the piece unfolded in a beautiful way. It was an intense and unforgettable time.

See more pictures on Flickr.

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