Madelynn - Materialistic

2/19/26

“That” Installation - Concept Ideas

Idea #1 - Emotional Response Room

For my first idea, I designed an Emotional Response Room based on my reaction to the Epstein files and the public response surrounding them. After reading some of the released emails and documents, I felt a strong sense of anger, disgust, and frustration. It also feels like the topic has been pushed aside or emotionally numbed over time. I want this installation to explore that emotional cycle… how outrage can slowly turn into overwhelm and then into numbness.

I was heavily inspired by the installation work of Olafur Eliasson and James Turrell, especially their use of light and atmosphere to shape how a viewer physically experiences space.

The room would use fog and strong lighting to create a slightly claustrophobic environment. The lighting sequence would move from red (anger, chaos, exposure) into blue (sadness, emotional fatigue, numbness), followed by a blackout, and then repeated. This looping structure represents how public attention and emotional response often cycle and fade.

I am also considering projecting or painting short phrases or words into the space using opposite-color lighting. For example:

• During red lighting: phrases like “pending,” “under review,” “no comment,” and “insufficient evidence.”
• During blue lighting: phrases like “remember,” “pay attention,” and “this still matters.”

Sound and projections may also be layered to increase the sense of emotional overwhelming.

Idea #2 - Internal Anxiety / Heart Space

For my second idea, I wanted to explore something more personal by focusing on my own experiences with having a heart condition. Unlike a temporary illness, it is something that is always present, even when it is not visible. This installation would explore the constant background feeling of anxiety and physical awareness that comes with that. This idea is very similar to Project 1, “Small World.”

I was inspired by the sculptural material work of Eva Hesse and again by the atmospheric lighting environments of Olafur Eliasson. I am interested in combining soft materials such as yarn or string with fog and lighting to create a chaotic and slightly claustrophobic environment.

The yarn would hang throughout the space, creating layered visual tension and forcing the audience to physically navigate through it. A heartbeat sound would play continuously, possibly shifting tempo to reflect anxiety or irregular rhythm. Lighting would pulse subtly with the sound to reinforce the connection between the body and the environment.

This piece would focus on the idea that internal experiences, especially medical or emotional ones, can be invisible but still deeply present.

Idea #3 - Fabric Reflection Room

For my third idea, I am considering a quieter and more reflective installation space that still connects to emotional and bodily awareness. I was inspired by the immersive fabric environments created by Ann Hamilton along with the lighting and texture-based environments of Olafur Eliasson.

This installation would use hanging red fabric to surround the viewer and create a soft, enclosed environment. A beanbag chair placed in the center would encourage the viewer to sit and physically settle into the space, making the experience slower and more personal.

Fog, soft lighting, and sound would be used to create an immersive atmosphere. Depending on the final direction, the room could function either as:

• a reflective emotional space
• a symbolic internal body space connected again to heart awareness

Sound could include low ambient tones or a subtle heartbeat to reinforce the sense of presence and connection to the body.

 

Inspiring Artists

Olafur Eliasson - https://olafureliasson.net/

James Turrell - https://www.pacegallery.com/artists/james-turrell/

Eva Hesse - https://www.hauserwirth.com/artists/2810-eva-hesse/

Ann Hamilton - https://www.metalocus.es/en/news/sheer-magic-ann-hamilton

Okay, Madalyn, breathe deeply in and out right now. 

Sam R - Materialistic

 Filled Space - Installation ideation / materialistic 

Following the theme inspired by Nam Jun Paik's work "TV Garden," I wanted to continue making things that speak about technology vs humanity/technology vs environment. 

There are only two movable walls. 

This time I want to explore more with the technology aspect and play with a matrix panel. it could debatably take up more time than I have to experiment with something like that which in that case it can be replaced with some other entrancing piece of technology to set in the middle of the piece. I think the main mood I want to convey is whatever the faces are attached to is something that is inherently "entrancing". to inhibit this more entrancing affect I want to incorporate the use of line to radiate emphasis. 

Materials:

Sculpey

Maroon-colored tissue paper

Maroon/ blue yarn

22 gauge electrical wire

RGB LED Matrix Panel

Big Picture

You’re onto something with:

• Technology vs humanity

• Entrancement

• Radiating line

• Wires as connective tissue

But currently this reads as a central sculptural object with decorative extensions, not an installation that consumes space.

If you’re inspired by Nam June Paik and his work TV Garden, remember: the power wasn’t in a single object — it was in the environment. The TVs were embedded in a field. The space itself became the content.

You need to shift from:

“What am I building?”

to:

“What is happening to the room?”

---

1. Move From Sculpture to Spatial System

There are only two movable walls. That constraint should drive the design.

Right now:

• Sculpey heads = sculptural

• Yarn = decorative surface

• Matrix panel = central object

Instead, ask:

• What if the wires dominate?

• What if the walls become the field?

• What if the faces are absorbed into the system rather than sitting on it?

Installation is about relationship, not object.

---

2. The Wire Is the Strongest Material

The 22-gauge electrical wire is conceptually perfect:

• It references circuitry

• It references nervous systems

• It can radiate, connect, invade

Push that.

Instead of yarn radiating emphasis, what if:

• Wires stretch from wall to wall?

• Wires converge at the panel?

• Wires attach to faces like neural connections?

The line becomes literal and conceptual.

If the mood is “entrancement,” then the wires should feel like:

• Pulling

• Plugging in

• Feeding

• Draining

Make the wires the protagonist.

---

3. Move Away From the African Mask Reference

What you have currently drawn risks:

• Cultural appropriation

• Formal borrowing without context

• Distracting from the concept

Options:

• Photographs of real faces (taken by you)

• Screenshots of scrolling faces from social media

• Large-scale printed faces adhered directly to wall

• Faces drawn/painted directly onto the wall surface

• Chicken wire facial structures that feel incomplete or hollow

The wall can hold the faces.
The space holds the wires.
The wires connect to the technology.

That becomes installation.

---

4. The Matrix Panel Question

The RGB LED matrix panel could be powerful — but only if it:

• Emits flickering light

• Displays scrolling code

• Pulses rhythmically

• Mimics algorithmic patterns

If it just “sits there,” it becomes a gadget.

If time is limited, consider something simpler but effective:

• A looping glitch video on a small monitor

• A phone mounted and endlessly scrolling

• A light source that pulses like a heartbeat

Entrancement is about repetition and glow.

---

5. Rethinking “Filled Space”

Right now your materials feel surface-oriented (tissue paper, yarn).

Instead ask:

• Does the viewer walk through wires?

• Do the wires cross the room?

• Do they cast shadows?

• Does the light from the panel project wire shadows onto the wall?

Filled space means:

• Air is activated.

• Negative space matters.

• Movement through space matters.

---

6. Material Notes

Sculpey

Feels heavy and craft-based unless treated very intentionally. Might flatten the conceptual strength.

Tissue paper

Could look decorative unless distressed or treated conceptually.

Yarn

Unless it’s functioning as line in space, it reads soft and textile — which may contradict the tech tension.

Wire

Keep.
Push.
Multiply.

---

Right now this is leaning sculptural — individual heads attached to something central. I want you to push it further into installation. Think about the room as your material. The wires feel the most conceptually strong. What happens if they dominate? What happens if they stretch from wall to wall and the faces are absorbed into that system rather than sitting on top of it?

Also, I would move away from the African mask reference. It complicates the work unnecessarily. Consider using faces you photograph yourself, or printed faces transferred directly onto the wall. That keeps the focus on technology and entrancement rather than cultural form borrowing.

The matrix panel only works if it actively produces glow and repetition. Otherwise it’s just an object. Ask yourself: what is the viewer physically experiencing in this room?

---

Where This Could Go (If Fully Pushed)

Imagine:

• Two walls with large-scale printed faces

• Hundreds of thin wires radiating from a glowing matrix panel

• Wires attaching to faces’ eyes or mouths

• Viewer walking between wire lines

• Light flickering

• Shadows multiplying the wires across the wall

Now the room becomes the nervous system.

That’s installation.

Delaney- Materialistic

2/24/26

    After bouncing my ideas off of other people, I've decided to go with my second idea with the hair-cocoon, as I think it is more feasible and maybe a bit more visually interesting. I will be refining it a bit and drawing up a few more concept sketches so I'm sure what my plan is before I get too far into my process.

 

Here's my materials list:

• Black Yarn
• Hair Extension
  
• cardboard
• air-dry clay (I have)
• Paracord or something for hanging?
• white fabric for ceiling and floor.
• something I can put over the lights to make them red? I'm not sure what I can use for this.

2/19/2026

    I'm still a little bit undecided on what idea I want to go with, but I have two solid concepts that I'm happy with and excited about.

Idea Development

Idea #1

    My first idea was for my installation to be depicting a wake. I think wakes are an interesting thing- I think sitting there with the body of a loved one, really spending time with their body, is kind of a unique experience. I can't speak for everyone but I think spending time with the body really helps the grieving process, as you are confronted with the reality of the situation and must let the fact that they're gone sink in. For me, when I haven't gotten to spend time with the  body, I find myself struggling to come to terms with what happened in my mind. Like, logically, I know that person is dead- but because I haven't seen it, I feel like I almost forget that they're really gone, or have trouble wrapping my head around it. Whereas, when I have spent time with the body, I feel like my grieving process is more grounded in reality. It still sucks and is sad, but for me, it is a bit of an easier mourning process.

    Anyway, My idea for this piece is to have a sculpted-body laying in a bed. Their face is veiled, but you can still see the contours of the human face- vague nose shape, etc. My intention with this is to strip the individual of any set-identity so it can be interpreted as anyone. Then, by the bedside, I would have a small table and chair where a viewer can sit and spend time with the work. On the table, there would be an open notebook where the viewer is invited to, if they choose, write about their experiences with grieving or about a loved one. There would also be a vase with flowers where the viewer is allowed to take one and lay it over the body to sort of pay respects.

Idea #2

    My second idea is based  on a feeling from an experience I had a few years back. I'll be vague, but for context, I used to date somebody who was not very mentally stable and I had a lot of scary experiences with him as a result. For some reason, even though this was by no means the worst thing to happen, what stuck with me was this time when he was on top of me- I'm not very strong, but my fight or flight kicked in, and I bit his hair, pulling it out. This really haunted me- I felt guilty even though really, I know what happened wasn't without reason. But I found myself constantly feeling like I had hair in my mouth, even when I didn't. I don't think I'll ever forget the feeling of hair between my teeth. I was left with this lingering feeling of being gross or dirty.

    So, that's what this piece would be about. I depicted a girl wrapped in a cocoon of hair, with a shower drain beneath her that has hair coming out of it. I obviously can't find that much hair, so my idea  was to sculpt and paint some of it, but use brushed-out yarn for a large portion to get the effect of hair. Then, for smaller strands I would use some wig hair- I actually have a pretty long black wig that I'm not really attached to, so maybe I'd use that. I would like to sculpt some of the girl's body parts- mainly her face, an arm, and a bit of a knee, but I will be obscuring a lot of this with hair, so I'll probably only sculpt some parts to make it lightweight. I thought I would mostly use some foam, paper mache, and maybe some air-dry clay for certain features, all sealed with a few layers of mod podge to keep it together. To suspend this from the ceiling, I figured it would probably be most structurally sound to use some sort of cord that I can easily hide with the "hair". I'll try to make this pretty light-weight, but I will still have to be careful that it's structurally sound so it doesn't fall.

    I'm not set on either of these ideas yet. I really like both, so any input on which one I should go with and develop further would be appreciated!

Conceptual Strengths

1. The sensory trigger is powerful.
The “hair between the teeth” memory is visceral. It’s not just narrative — it’s embodied memory. That’s strong installation territory.

2. Hair as material = metaphorically loaded.
Hair carries associations of:

• Intimacy

• Bodily residue

• Disgust

• Gender

• Power and entanglement

You are working with a material that already holds meaning, which is good.

3. The cocoon form is promising.
A cocoon suggests:

• Protection

• Containment

• Metamorphosis

• Isolation

But right now you needs to clarify which of these ideas you activating.

---

Where You Need to Push Further (Conceptually)

Right now, the piece risks being illustrative instead of immersive.

• Is the girl trapped? Or self-wrapped?

• Is this about guilt? Or violation? Or contamination?

• Is the drain symbolic of release, or accumulation?

• Is the cocoon protective or suffocating?

If you dont define this, the work will read as “trauma sculpture” rather than a focused installation.

You have the core — now you need precision.

---

Installation Questions to Push You

Since this is installation, not just sculpture:

1. Scale

   • Is this life-size? Smaller? Suspended at eye level?

   • Does the viewer walk under it? Around it?

2. Viewer Relationship

   • Can the viewer see the face clearly? Is it female? Is it you?

   • Is the hair dense enough to obscure and frustrate visibility?

3. Space Activation

   • Is the drain on the floor?

   • Is the hair touching the floor?

   • Is this in a corner? Center of the room? Overhead?

Right now, you are describing an object. You need to describe an environment.

---

Material & Structural Feedback 

 Material choices could cheapen the emotional weight if not handled intentionally.

1. Foam + Paper Mâché + Air-Dry Clay

This combo is workable, but:

• Air-dry clay cracks easily.

• Mod Podge is not structural.

• Paper mâché can sag over time.

If you are suspending this:

• You need an internal armature. ( I bought you a hammock so that should help)

• Lightweight = good, but structural integrity matters.

Suggestions

• Chicken wire to help form body shape

• Plaster cloth over structure 

• Clear fishing line or aircraft cable instead of visible cord

---

2. Yarn as Hair

Brushed-out yarn can work — but it can also look crafty.

I encourage you to test:

• Different yarn types (acrylic vs wool)

• Density layering

• Matte vs synthetic sheen

• Incorporating real wig hair for realism

The difference between “haunting” and “Halloween” will be density and restraint.

---

3. The Drain Element

The drain is strong symbolically — but it could easily become too literal.

Questions to refine:

• Is hair emerging from the drain?

• Is it being pulled into the drain?

• Is it a cycle?

You could consider:

• Real metal drain fixture

• Hair trailing down into the drain

• Or drain mounted vertically instead of on floor to disrupt expectations

---

Emotional Arc

Right now, the work is stuck in “gross / dirty.”

 Consider:

Is there transformation?

If it’s a cocoon, what happens next?

Even if the answer is “nothing,” you need to consciously choose that.

---

Safety + Sensitivity Consideration

Given the content (physical threat, bodily memory), I suggest:

• Do you want a short wall text?

• Do you want to contextualize it?

• Are you emotionally ready to display this publicly?

Not to censor — but to protect you.

Amelia - Materialistic Ideas

02/24/2026

These past few Sundays, I just spent sewing together more of the webbing which is why I didn't have any new updates or photos to show. I did start using the sewing machine rather than hand sewing which did significantly speed up the process. Once finishing the webbing I began nailing it to the walls. Once that was finished I have spent these last few days pinning more clothing onto the other clothes.

Originally I planned to have the clothes only go up to 6'5" with the drop ceiling to give a claustrophobic feel. However after realizing the height of the door was taller and talking with Ashley and other students, I decided it would be better to continue adding the clothes to grow taller.

At this point I am finishing filling in the whole on the walls as well as giving the 'top line' more of an organic shape rather than having the clothes end in a straight line. I am also going to be adjusting the lights to see how I would like them. 

I also received comments that I should try to continue the clothing all the way up. I think I would like to see what it would look like with the drop ceiling, but if I choose not to go that route I will try and slowly add more clothing going up throughout the time the installation is up.

sewing with machine

webbing nailed on the wall

moving clothes up higher

^ example of a finished section

02/01/2026

    Currently there is not much to update on, except that I have chosen to do the clothing room as a continuation of my BFA work. I have begun sewing some clothes together to create the 'webs' we discussed. I think at this point I am just trying to decide if I am going to want to try and fill the entire room, or somehow make two false walls, or at least framing for two walls, to make the gallery space appear smaller. I am unsure of how to successfully do that. I wondered if I made framing and then took muslin or large sheets to cover the wall and attach the clothing to that (either before or after attaching it to the wall. I also have to take in consideration the price of wood or if there would be enough available in the wood shop and I don't necessarily have the funds to buy all the wood myself. So it could be cheaper to just buy more clothes (from second hand stores) and try posting again for more donations. I think I just worry about running out of clothes.

I would also like to make a drop ceiling of some sort and am trying to decide if it should just be a dark large sheet which I attach some clothing to or if it should be completely covered.

At this point I am going to continue making the 'webbing'. Since a large part of this installation won't be able to be worked on until I am in the space I will also start sketching out my ideas for my small world and getting those up.

laid out webbing ft. my cat

sewing together with embroidery floss (repurposed friendship bracelet string)

This is developing in a strong direction, and the webbing is already doing the conceptual work it needs to do. Rather than filling the entire room, I’d encourage you to think about filling the walls and ceiling instead. Let the installation wrap the viewer without completely occupying the floor.

Treat the walls and ceiling as continuous surfaces where the clothing webs accumulate, overlap, and connect. This will create immersion while still allowing the viewer space to move and breathe within the room.

You don’t need to build false walls for this. Using the existing architecture and letting the clothing become the structure will keep the focus on material and labor rather than construction.

For the ceiling, a lowered or darkened fabric plane with clothing integrated into it could help compress the space without overwhelming it.

Keep focusing on producing webbing now. Repetition and density across vertical surfaces will matter more than adding new elements.

You’re on a good path — commit to coverage on the walls and ceiling, and let restraint on the floor give the piece clarity and control.

P.s. I would not waste floss on sewing. Use cheap string and lets get you the pins in the am so you know where they are. Remind me!

01/24/2026

Artist Inspiration

    Guerra de la Paz

    Guerra de la Paz is a collaboration between two artists, Alain Gueraa and Neraldo de la Paz. I am drawn to the themes and messages they explore within this work. I also appreciate how they allow the materials they use (in this case clothes) to speak for itself.

 

    Chiharu Shiota

    I am constantly drawn to the visuals of Chiharu Shiota's work. I appreciate the organized visual chaos she creates. I am also drawn to the materials she uses and the ways in which she uses them.

Carolee Schneemann

I discovered the second image first and was immediately drawn to it. After trying to figure out the artists I found that it must be the recreation of a performance piece done by Carolee Schneemann (as seen in the first image). 

Ideas/Sketches

    For this project I have two main ideas I am circling between, both of which fit in with my portfolio.

    Idea #1:

    My first idea is an expansion of my BFA work. This work focus on the environmental impact of fast fashion and the textile industry. Within my BFA work I created a large tower of clothes, I hoped that could represent the overwhelming waste that we create but are lucky to not have to address. When thinking about this idea originally, I thought it would be visually interesting as well as push the feeling of overwhelm further if I created an entire room covered in this clothing. This idea was not possible during an exhibition where I was sharing space with other artists, but having the THIS gallery space would now give me this opportunity.

I would like to cover the entire room in clothing. This means wall to wall and the floor and a drop ceiling. I think taking large sheets of fabric and attaching the clothes to these would be the best method. I would also like light to be apart of this work in some way, possibly just having small slivers of light shining through the ceiling.

The aspect of this idea I am most concerned about is having enough clothes. I currently still have a large amount of clothes, however a lot of it is cut up and I worry about running into the problem of repeating the same patterns and fabric too many times. A solution I thought would be to make the room feel much smaller than it actually is by using the large sheets of fabric to create false walls (possibly needing a wood structure for some stability).

    Idea #2

    

    My second idea is an expansion of my work from my Honors capstone work in Fall of 2024. I wanted to create a piece that visually expanded on the work I have already created while exploring a new aspect of the theme this body of work surrounds. When making this body of work I was interested in created an piece I felt represented the way anxiety can lead me to spiral, but I didn't end up getting around to this. I would like to create this now. I want to create a large scale installation that feels like the inside of my head, specifically with decision making. I want to make this work chaotic and messy, using simple materials such as paper, markers, crayons, and string. I would cover the floors, walls, and make a drop ceiling from a large paper (possibly butcher paper). Then fill the walls with my own version of mind maps and thoughts, etc. Similar to one of the other pieces in my exhibition, I was considering making this piece interactive and allowing people to come and write on the walls as well.

However, I have noted and after talking with Ashley that this piece could also be very successful as my 'site specific' installation in my bedroom. I do agree with this and think that could give me the opportunity to experiment more with having string run across the room as the work would be viewed through my own documentation of it rather than the viewer actually needing to walk through the work itself.

Amelia, this is a strong and thoughtful set of ideas, and your artist references are well chosen. You’re clearly thinking about material, scale, and immersion in ways that align well with contemporary installation practices.

Both directions you’re considering make sense conceptually, but they operate very differently in terms of space and feasibility. The clothing installation feels especially strong for the THIS gallery. It builds directly from your BFA work, uses material as meaning rather than illustration, and takes advantage of the opportunity to fully surround the viewer. Your instincts about compression, false walls, and limiting the scale of the room are good, and those strategies could help manage repetition while intensifying the feeling of overwhelm.

The anxiety / mind-map installation is also compelling, but I agree with your observation that it may function more successfully as a site-specific, documentation-based work rather than a public gallery installation. That idea relies heavily on personal interiority and process, and placing it in a private space could allow you to push it further without needing to manage viewer flow or durability.

At this point, I’d encourage you to choose one direction for THIS gallery and commit to refining it. Think about which idea:

• depends most on the physical room,

• allows the material to do the conceptual work,

• and can be fully realized within the time and resources available.

Whichever direction you choose, focus on restraint and clarity. Let fewer decisions do more work, and keep asking how the viewer encounters the space physically and emotionally. You’re asking the right questions—now it’s about narrowing and committing so the installation can fully resolve.