02/22/26
Install and Completion
Process:
I am so incredibly grateful that we got into our spaces a week earlier than we originally thought. It truly allowed me to fully envision my installation and have it all come together in my head. I do think I could have gotten it done in one day, but having the time to completely set up the objects and materials, and knowing exactly how to go about it, opened up so much more time for the more intuitive process in the fabric form. I worked my way from the biggest elements down to the more detailed ones. First, we hung the grid above the lights, and thanks to David, that went super quick. Next, get all the plastic drop clothes hanging from the walls. I knew that I didn't want to lay down the floor drop cloths until the very end. I then got some help installing the chain and meat hooks. Then went up the light gels and the final form. And lastly, I laid down the plastic on the floor, cut the doorway strips, and configured the fiber pool.
Images:
Reflection:
In hindsight, I should have done all the light work and hung the drop cloths before installing the chain and meathooks. Maneuvering the latter around both the light rails and those elements was tricky and not a fun time. So any high installation required should be done with the least number of elements in the room. Learned that very quickly. There are many elements I want to incorporate if I get the opportunity to show this installation again, that I just didn't have the time or experience to incorporate this go-around. But for my first-ever installation, I am proud of how it came out. Some of those other elements include: a way to cool down the room, incorporating a scent, and possibly adding slight movement to the empty chains. I fell in love with the way they slightly swung when I first installed them.
I am not entirely happy with the components on the floor. It just feels like something is missing, and maybe that is just "more". I'm hoping to add more fibrous materials to see if that helps. I also think that the plastic could have been a bit less see-through. It works for the room it's in now, but in the future, I'd want to use either a heavier-duty plastic or something with less transparency. In hindsight, I should have made a level mark at the height I wanted to hang the plastic sheets from to make the install easier and ensure everything stayed at the same level. It looks quite messy with the way I went about it this time. I should also notch the steel bar that runs through the feet so the butcher's hook can rest in it for better stability and balance.
Statement:
My artistic practice centers on creating space for difficult conversations about violence against women; conversations that are often dismissed, minimized, or silenced. Girlhood: begging to be believed. I create work not only for myself but for those who are quiet and well-versed in being gentle despite the violence they’ve walked through, for individuals who value mindfulness and observation over hasty action. As a woman, I have frequently experienced my perspectives being overlooked or interrupted. Visual art has become the place where I can assert what I have not always been allowed to say aloud. By transforming these experiences into tangible, visual forms, I aim to create work that demands attention, invites reflection, and fosters understanding. My current work takes the form of large-scale cast forms and sculptural installations, using materials such as cast iron, bronze, knit thread, cast paper, and fabric to embody the tension between vulnerability and resilience.
02/17/26:
In Progress Update:
I made some progress over the weekend, but I could really use the next week to hunker down and focus on this installation alone. I started adding fabric to my chicken-wire forms, and I'm going to use actual cuts of meat to help determine the color of the fabric I place and stitch on. I intend to cover these forms completely, then add details before adding additional layers of fabric and other details directly to them. I'm using these forms as the building blocks for the overall form.
The next steps for this week to focus on and complete for install are:
- Paint feet and add detail to wounds where bar punctures
- Continue to add fabric and details to forms
- Build fabric loops for things to hang from inside feet.
- Hang plastic drop clothes
- Measure and cut chain - 5 feet
02/08/26
Updates:
I began building smaller elements within my overall installation this past week, and really got down the measurements for the room and the height. After getting some measurements and fully dialing in to what the form will look like overall, I'm feeling much better moving forward. The bottom measurement between the figure and the floor may vary depending on how much overlap there is between the meat hook and the feet. Dave also gave me a rough estimate of where it's easiest to hang the grid, so the measurement at the lowest point is subject to change.
I spent a few days putting together various sizes of chicken wire that mimicked meat cuts or even figural elements, and I'm hoping to finish those up tomorrow and begin the plaster gauze process. I want these forms to create the illusion of mass without its weight. Since I am hanging from the grid, I'm trying to keep everything as lightweight as possible. I was also able to forge two meat hooks from a steel rod. I attempted this at first with a quarter-inch pencil rod, and after some advice, I decided to redo them with a much thicker one. I think they look much better and much more realistic this way! I just need to fabricate one more and shine up the metal before sealing it.
One thing not pictured above (I feel a little weird about it right now lol) is the mannequin feet I ordered. I drilled holes through the ankles and cut off the tops of the feet to allow a steel rod to pass through and support the rest of the figure. I also decided to brush wax on the feet to give them a more realistic texture before priming them and getting them ready to paint. Once those get to a better point of resolution, I will include photos. (Once they don't gross me out)
I was also planning to spend this past weekend finishing the miniature version of this installation, but I was hit with a pretty nasty cold, so I intend to finish it by the end of this week, with more focus on the elements of the large-scale installation. - I will work harder in the future to prevent this setback!
02/01/26
Refinement:
I realized after posting yesterday that my update doesn't make much sense if my idea hasn't been refined and shown here. Things are a little out of order, but it'll make sense soon! I redid my original sketch after pondering the questions given to me, and I answered them below.
- How many hanging forms are necessary to create the intended atmosphere?
- What is the minimum number to still communicate weight, repetition, and presence?
- Which elements must be physically built, and which can be implied through space, light, or restraint?
- Would fewer forms intensify the experience?
- Could one area carry the most visual weight while others recede?
- Where does restraint create more tension than accumulation?
After allowing for this idea to exist in my head for longer than just a moment, like it did last semester, and listening to those around me, I realized that I don't need to fill up the room with figures for my idea to still strike hard. The question "What is the minimum number that still communicates weight, repetition, and presence?" is the most inspiring one to think through. I began to break down the idea to the bare bones. What are the bare necessities for creating the atmosphere and visually communicating the idea? I really enjoy the point that restraint can create more tension.
So I've decided to move to just one figure within the room, not centered, but maybe off to the side. I'm not totally sure about this decision yet, but I think it will be addressed in both the mock-up I'm creating and during the install. The repetition could come from other hooks hanging alongside the one being used. Insinuating that there is intention and space for more to join. Maybe allowing audience members to place themselves there. The suggestion of red lights, the buzzing sound of fluorescent lights, and cooling the room down are incredible, and I would love to include them.
Materials I am building:
- The abstract form that follows the feet. I want to construct some of this out of stiffened fabric and fiber thread. I want this part to be intuitive. I was also thinking that creating a chicken-wire and plaster gauze form might help clarify the overall shape before I start going all haywire with other materials.
- After thinking about it, I think I will blacksmith the three meat hooks. One, because I love blacksmithing. Two, I can control the look of each hook fully throughout the process. And three, because they are three of the same form that can be easily fabricated.
Materials I am gathering or ordering:
- It's crazy that I'm building a piece that involves feet even though I hate them so much. I decided to order a pair of mannequin feet (not super expensive), both as a reference or even as a base to add more naturalistic details on top of. Feet are weird, and I'm not interested in making a mold of mine (I don't want to use a model either, the less real feet involvement the better), so I figured this was the next best option.
- Plastic sheets: I plan on just utilizing plastic drop cloths.
- Chain?
- Sound?
Some questions from me:
- What is the best way to hang the drop cloths? I want them to go fairly high, as I don't think I need to hide anything within the ceiling for this piece. So maybe that doesn't matter as much now that I think about it.
- I want to use a chain to hang this piece from. Is there a light-weight chain that would keep the overall weight of my form light enough for the grid to handle? Or should I consider a different material to use? Rope? Cording?
- What are the dimensions of the "That" gallery space?
- Is it possible to implement a way to make the room colder? I really love Megan's suggestion!
- Is it possible to have sound coming from up above? Like in the ceiling, mimicking the fluorescent light sound?
Core idea
The work places the viewer inside a meat-locker environment: cold, sterile, fluorescent, and quietly violent. Rather than filling the room with bodies, the piece relies on restraint. One suspended figure is enough to carry the emotional weight, while empty hooks and open space imply repetition, absence, and the potential for more.
The figure is suggested through the feet only. The rest of the body dissolves into an abstract, weighted mass. The viewer crosses a plastic threshold to enter the space, immediately encountering a controlled, clinical atmosphere.
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What must be present for the piece to work
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One clear hanging event that reads as industrial and intentional
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A plastic threshold the viewer physically passes through
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A cold, sterile environment created through light, sound, and material restraint
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Evidence of repetition through unused hooks or empty hanging points
Everything else is optional and should only be added if time allows.
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What you are building
Three forged meat hooks (only one needs to be used; the others can remain empty)
One suspended form: mannequin feet attached to a hook and hanging line
An abstract mass beneath the feet, built intuitively using fabric and fiber
A simple armature (chicken wire and plaster gauze) may be used first to define the overall shape
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What you are sourcing
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Mannequin feet to use as a base or reference
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Clear plastic drop cloths for walls and threshold strips
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Lightweight chain or cable for hanging
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A subtle fluorescent hum or industrial buzz for sound
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Key decisions to lock in now
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Limit the work to one hanging figure
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Let restraint do the work rather than accumulation
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Choose one symbolic detail for the feet, not multiple
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Keep the violence suggestive rather than graphic
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Installation notes
Plastic should be hung high, cleanly, and with intention. Fewer large sheets will read better than many small ones. We have some. May need to order more.
Use a lightweight chain, cable, or cord rated for the ceiling grid, with a discreet safety backup.
If actual cooling is not possible, rely on cool lighting, sound, and plastic to imply temperature.
Sound should be subtle and plausible, as if coming from the lights above rather than from a speaker.
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Three-week build focus
Week one: confirm dimensions, finalize hanging plan, test one hook and feet connection
Week two: fabricate hooks, finish feet, build the abstract mass
Week three: install plastic, hang the form, add sound and lighting, refine and clean
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Primary goal
Clarity over quantity. Control over excess. The viewer should feel unsettled immediately, before they fully understand why.
01/31/26:
Updates:
After the first week, I have a few updates on this installation. All of which I am very excited about and really itching to work on. I decided that in order to do this right, especially for my first time doing an installation at this scale, I wanted to map out the room and build my own at a smaller scale. I did this with cardboard and hot glue, and even got the wall color and a cute little sign down. Once I finished this, I began working on what would go into the space. I didn't get too far, but I'm excited to continue to work on it while materials for the large-scale installation are still being shipped. Here are some images I took of the in-progress work, and hopefully by next week, I will be working on the real deal! (Many of my materials should be here by Wednesday)
Here are some different angles of the "That" gallery I built. I had so much fun with it and now realize all the different ways to improve it so it can be so much better next time. I don't necessarily like how the edges turned out, but now I know what I'll do differently!
I realize that this totally doesn't look like anything recognizable yet, but I started on modeling the feet and attaching them to the meat hook and chain. I want to paint them to make them look a bit better and to also figure out a color story that will go with the fabric, fiber, and other materials that will be hanging from it.
01/25/26:
Initial Idea and Sketches:
I went back and forth about whether to make this installation human-scale or mini, and I finally decided on human-scale. I think the impact is there, at least for me. I haven't personally been in the meat locker of a butcher shop, and I'm not sure how many others have, but I fully intend to do research and visit one to get the details right. I want to place my audience in that space. The cold and sterile environment with the trace amounts of blood and violence that don't ever go away, no matter how many times that room is scrubbed and rinsed down. Instead of using fully recognizable female bodies for the figure, I only want the feet to convey what is actually happening. I want the entire room covered in clear plastic sheets, and for the viewer to walk through a visual and physical boundary of "sterile" plastic strips before they can take in all the details.
There are so many different kinds of meat hooks online, and I could either buy them or have them made. I think my decision will depend on my timing, but they really shouldn't take too long to fabricate. Each form will have recognizable feet, and I was trying to find ways to make them symbolize female bodies, but maybe they don't. We have so much violence against people in general in this country that it could be anyone hanging there. Maybe some have heels, or some have painted toenails. I don't know exactly, but I'll find out as soon as I start making. After the feet, I just want the feeling of carnage. Of dripping. Of weight and destruction.
Artist Inspiration:
Tamara Kovianovsky:
"Tropical Abattoir"
Teresa Kovianovsky's work is so beautiful. When I first stumbled across her work I was in awe for at least an hour. I really suggest visiting her website (which I do have linked) and viewing the rest of her work because this is just the beginning. Her use of fabric and patterns to create such grotesque and also beautiful renditions of meat and animal bodies is fascinating. I want to cry and throw up while looking at them, but also cuddle up to them because they look so huggable? How can those two visceral reactions coexist? I don't know, but this work encapsulates it.
Tara Kennedy:
"Hope Emerging"
Tara Kennedy has been a massive inspiration for my work the last couple years which is why she keeps appearing in my artist inspiration list. I find her use of color and fabric/fiber to be so inspiring, and I hope to one day achieve a semblance of this in my work. I also enjoy the knots and texture added to some of her work as a way to give visual interest and keep the eye moving.
Feasibility & Scope Questions to Consider
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This is a strong and serious direction. As you move forward, I want you to think carefully about what is realistically buildable within the time and resources available.
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Ask yourself:
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How many hanging forms are truly necessary to create the intended atmosphere?
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What is the minimum number that still communicates weight, repetition, and presence?
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Which elements must be physically built, and which can be implied through space, light, or restraint?
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Consider the labor involved in:
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fabricating the hooks
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constructing the hanging forms
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installing plastic sheeting safely and cleanly
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managing weight, balance, and attachment
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de-installation and clean-up
How much of this can be completed confidently within the timeline?
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Think about where simplification might strengthen the work:
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Would fewer forms intensify the experience?
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Could one area carry the most visual weight while others recede?
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Where does restraint create more tension than accumulation?
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I encourage you to identify one or two elements that are essential to the concept, and treat everything else as negotiable.
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This project doesn’t need to be maximal to be powerful. Focus on clarity, control, and what the viewer encounters in the space rather than the total amount produced.
