Most Sacred Irritant
September-October 2013
ArtPrize, Grand Rapids, Michigan

​Media: Lithograph and screenprint on Magnani Pescia,  BFK, and Sekishu papers, metallic thread

Take something that irritates you and keep it around until you have turned it into a gorgeous object. Gather your frustrations and distractions and illusions and rather than dwell on the presence of negativity, create an item so coveted people would die for it. Make me a pearl from a speck of sand. As a manifestation of productivity, I created 100 paper oysters as a reminder of the crucial need to continually create. Beginning with equal stacks of blue Magnani Pescia, cream BFK, and Sekishu white paper, I screen-printed multiple layers of ink to simulate the layers of calcium, algae and grime that accumulate on an oyster’s shell while submerged deep beneath the sea. Following with a lithographic stone I completed the linework of the oysters. After flinging spots of acrylic paint, I tore each oyster shape from the sheet, and glued a pair together to create a shell. After stuffing the insides of each shell, each was hand embroidered, and one contains a pearl. This work is part of a larger commentary on invasive species and the impact of capitalism on local waterways and ecosystems.

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