ALICE COMBS

Made out of found string, wire, foil, and my own hair, these specimens are based on 19th century common childhood killers: tuberculosis, scarlet fever, measles, and whooping cough. Recalling hairwork mementos from that period, the newness of the materials serve as a reminder that we must still deal with these relic diseases today, as people choose not to vaccinate their children.

2014. Made primarily with inside-out plastic wrappers woven into a line. The line is looped into an intestine-like shape. At the 30-foot mark, there is a gold wrapper indicating the length of the human digestive tract.