Wound Up contains two parts: photos and fibers. Though distinct in their medium, they are intertwined with themes of memory and metamorphosis.
The thermal photos, arranged chronologically around the room starting from New Year’s Eve 2021 to today, are a physical receipt of memories, each inscribed with the date and time they were taken, they rise and fall with the months, warped and curling at the edges, blending into the wall and the shadows they cast. In 2023 everyone is a photographer, pictures are taken with lightning speed before disappearing into the digital cloud. For me, the compulsive practice of taking and printing photos stems from the desire to preserve these fleeting moments, offering a tangible, if imperfect, record of the moment that I can give to those I meet, and hold onto for the future.
The central sculpture takes the notion of being “wound up” literally. Fibrous webs of crocheted recycled yarn are bound together with found chains and woven through boney charms, with metal bits dangling from the untrimmed ends. Referencing organic structures and circular shapes, the piece forms a chrysalis that visitors are encouraged to enter and interact with. These methods of crafting are passed on from individual to individual, generation to generation, friend to friend, and used to create items that cover and protect us. Inside this soft, porous shell one is immersed yet visible, simultaneously part of the space while being isolated, a reflection of my experience moving to my first place in San Francisco, exactly one year ago today. Alone, with just my suitcase, some balls of yarn, a pair of knitting needles and a crochet hook, I began crafting items for utility to keep warm in my unheated SRO room, and to protect against the heavy San Francisco fog. In the 365 days since then I’ve covered myself in things I’ve made - hats, scarves, and more, culminating in the piece you see today. Emerging from this period a year older, stronger, still growing and learning, and overflowing with love and gratitude for the community I’ve found in this beautiful city.
Here you’ll find yourself somewhere between holding on and letting go, sharing the journey of where I’ve been, who I’ve known, the ones who stayed, what I left behind, what I’ve found, and where I wound up.
