Closure on the current cycle of this project has not been so pat, as we had a series of “final” events in the Faculty of Education that dovetailed more closely with the end of the school semester. March was the big hurrah! And April, May, saw quieter times at McGill (notably in our home-base, the Art Hive).
Which honestly, I did not mind. It gave me time to sit back and take in the events of the year, and think about how this project will continue. So although I feel like things more-or-less wrapped up some weeks ago, in addition to the reflections that were posted last month I wanted to say a few parting words, before I officially head into the next cycle. In particular, I’m curious to observe how my process in residence also ended up producing objects (you heard me!) – something that my work tends to not do very often. This was in the form of the Lobby Oasis (a moveable installation)
Translating hard surfaces into friendly soft ones, these Giant Pillows were my attempt to create an interruption; periodically placed in the lobby of the Education Building (otherwise living in the Art Hive), they offered the possibility for an unexpected moment of pause – in the middle of a busy lobby (and probably an equally busy schedule).
Three pillows were made, using the precise textures of the building’s interior and surrounding surfaces: the centre column, the walls and the ceiling. This resulted in “The Concrete Pillar Pillow,” “The Pliant Part of Brick” and “The Spongy Waffle.”
And so, these parting words are also parting gifts, as a physicalized embodiment of my projects’ intentions now remain (forever! Or as long they pillows will hold up) in the Education Building. A prolonged, and ongoing invitation to members of the community at McGill to slow down, even lie down, and rest.
The Sanctimonious Sect of Nothing Is Sacred 