ALICE COMBS

Plan Backup The, Drill The, Letter The

 

In response to "The Letter, The Drill, The Backup Plan," I composed a new installation for a show called "Hi/Lo" at Embark Gallery (Feb. 5th through March 12th).  Many thanks go to Txutxo for inspiration and permission to use copies of his architectural plans for SUB/Mission improvements.

 

"Plan Backup The..." has 3 parts:  The letter and photo that were included in the original installation, twelve pages of 36"x24" plan copies that have been hole punched as many times as possible with an 1/8" hole-punch, and a 5.5' diameter mandala made from the resulting paper confetti on the floor.

 

How many holes can you make in a sheet of paper before it starts to lose its integrity?  Could I render the unused plans fragile, transparent, like lace, yet still half-legible?  All the confetti made from this activity, like the people and energy associated with SUB/Mission, the gallery and inclusive venue, could now congeal into another form, or be dispersed.  This dispersal, I felt, was the emotional fulcrum of the story, so I decided to play up the similarities between sand-painting mandalas and the giant drills (TBMs) I requested in "The Letter."

 

I also gave an artist talk called "Tedium as a Medium" at Embark on March 5th, where I outlined recent works and my thoughts on how humor and empathy can connect through repetitive actions.