Deadly Weapons, (2021) Most of my studio time in 2021 was devoted to a commissioned installation for the Eastern State PenitentiaryHistoric Site in Philadelphia. Install May 2021, it is comprise of of a bed covering and hanging tapestry made with colorful shoelaces and Mylar strips & a floor covered with Mylar emergency blankets. The piece was designed for a single cell in the facility and will remain in place for at least one year. The concept relates to the detention at the U.S./Mexican border where migrants are stripped of their shoelaces- to prevent potential harm to themselves or others, but also to impede escape. When released back into Mexico to await hearings, the shoelaces are not returned. Resource people have torn strips from the Mylar rescue blankets they are given to create make-shift laces. In addition to these facts that inspired the installation, the colorful shoelaces represent the hopes and aspirations of the detainees and reference the colorful fabrics of Latin America.
