Installation Progress

After almost two weeks of installing Catagenesis, we are mightily prepared for the opening of this complex exhibition (this Sunday, September 9th, 2-5pm at the Globe Dye Works).

I have spent several days on site, assisting the artists in however they needed an extra hand.  This experience varied greatly between the artists but was overall informative, intense and fun!  I spent some time atop a corrugated tin roof, making slight adjustments to carts full of colored thread as Carolyn Healy conducted the arrangement to suit her vision from below.

Elizabeth Mackie is fortunate to have had a dependable duo of her students from the College of New Jersey to help realize her rather daunting concept.  I assisted her crew in hemming a 15 foot wedding dress and most importantly trying to keep it white amidst the dust and dirt covered walls and floor of the  space.

Elizabeth Mackie's assistants from TCNJ, hard at work in her intimate space.

I also enjoyed the challenges inherent in Pam Bowman's intricate installation.  Certainly the hours spent untangling thread and rope will be well worth the effort!

My limited expertise was of little use to some other artists.  However, I enjoyed observing Damian Yanessa seated in his beach chair, contemplating his navigation of a room full of mirrors and his spatial distortion.  And watching Reece Terris, in full climbing gear and scaling the buildings exterior was an exhilarating and nerve wracking site to behold!

Reece Terris and assistants installing atop the Globe Dye Works, despite the rain!

Featured Artists: Carolyn Healy & John Phillips

Carolyn Healy and John Phillip's work and methodology could not be better suited for this show and the exhibition space.  As collaborators of site-specific multimedia installations, Carolyn is the sculptor while John considers the environment that she creates and adds the sound and video components.  Their process begins by spending a lot of time in the space; Carolyn has discussed the importance of the smell and the vibe while John described his interest in researching the history of the place - in this case mainly workers and their traditions.  Their work begins with concrete ideas and becomes abstract in form.  

Fig. 1. Carolyn and John in their raw space for the Catagenesis show.

Carolyn has been scavenging the Globe for objects to use in their installation.  Below are carts full of spools of thread that were dyed at the Globe Dye facility which Carolyn has collected for potential use in the show.  Their artist statement expresses a strive to keep the technology that they use invisible and describes what they create as a "nonverbal 'theater' of the mind."  By merging these heady ideas with their visual and audible creations Carolyn and John will no doubt merge a complex, sensual wonderland into the Globe Dye Works.

Fig. 2. Items that Carolyn has set aside to potentially use in their installation.