Camouflage I    

Velvet, Stuffing, Lace
2015

Places have their own histories that are not apparent at a glance. This installation was created for an art gallery located in a historic 19th century building. I am interested in the fireplaces in this gallery as sites – they were once the source of warmth and the center of family life but have become cold and vacant in their present state of disuse.I made upholstery creatures that appear to have emerged from the soot and darkness as a way to visualize past memories and emotions embedded in what used to be a domestic site. But just as the significance of our homes are only known to us, many viewers lean against the fireplaces to take a rest from viewing the gallery show but do not notice anything unusual in them - they are surrounded by memories of the place but have no intimate access to them.