COMPANIONS, swings

Finding myself suddenly cut off from my social networks and communities during the COVID-19 crisis, I began to think of my sculptures as company. Just like one’s friends, each Companion occupies a different space and serves a unique purpose. In this case, some are for color, some are for texture, and some are just for comfort. These Companions are based on nostalgic toys and pop culture references from the late 1990s and early 2000s that specifically resonate with my childhood. 

 

As these sculptural friends started to accumulate and interact with the furniture, architectural built-ins, and everyday objects in my home-studio, I found myself yielding my space to what began to feel like a ‘Companion playground’. In this installation, the imaginary playground leaves the studio, and the line between sculpture and play equipment blurs, both creating and becoming the setting for their Play Date. Companions sit on swings, become their own swings, play on seesaws and slides, and interact with the existing gallery façade, taking over yet another space with their childlike antics.