birthweight
Fabric, 8.5 pounds of cut up dictionary text, 27' x 12', 2007
The term birthweight speaks of joy, of pride, of memory, of expectation, of measurement, of burden. The stretched fabric references skin, a safety net, a nurturing cradle. birthweight gives information or knowledge a physical presence, and shows it as a burden and a gift. This pile of text is equal to the birthweight of my two children, eight and a half pounds. Cut up text inevitably also symbolizes sadness, loss and grief. In this piece birthweight the pile of text dust conveys potential (maybe by referencing the letters used in DNA code), or the experiences of birth and death, of creation and destruction, inherent in any life cycle.
