memories & dust

Appropriation Term Project inspired by the work of Regina Frank

For my term project I chose to focus on the work of Regina Frank, an artist from Germany. Best known for her site specific installations and performance pieces, Frank often uses fabric, beads and the forms of dresses in her pieces. For my appropriation project I used her 1994-99 piece entitled “Hermes' Mistress” as inspiration for my own sculpture. In this installation/performance she sat wearing an enormous red satin gown, and with a laptop beside her, collected tidbits of information and conversations from the internet. Using lettered beads, she then transcribed the words found onto her gown, creating a swirl of text circling her dress. An effort to bridge the gap between growing technology and traditional handiwork, Frank started the piece in New York City with 35 straight days spent in the gown. She also worked on and performed “Hermes' Mistress” in Los Angeles, London, Tokyo and Berlin.

Much of Regina Frank's work deals with political, cultural, or spiritual issues. These ideas are translated by the artist into a visual language using fabrics, text, and natural materials. Her own form is often a part of her installations, whether by image or live performance. Frank seems to have an affinity for the feminine form of a dress or gown, a shape that finds itself in a large number of her pieces. An active member of the international art community, Regina Frank exhibits her work in museums, windows, and public spaces.

Regina Frank's use of fabric and text both found their way into my project. For my appropriation piece I created a three-dimensional sculpture using wire, fabric, thread and text. In keeping with the feminine nature that is often found in the work of Frank as well as myself, the form of the sculpture is recognizably female yet still retains an abstract quality.
The actual construction of the sculpture was done with a core of foam and plaster, which I then covered with scraps of textured grey fabric. I stitched the grey material together at the seams with black thread, intentionally leaving uneven stitches and frayed edges to show the hand-sewn quality. I then used a transfer technique to imprint text from a xerox copy onto the strips of dark grey and green material. Printing the text out backwards, I used a transfer marker and pressing down hard on the back of the paper with a wooden spoon, transferred the ink from the xerox onto the fabric. Echoing the form of a dress or bustle, I added the strips of dark grey and green material onto the back of the sculpture creating a pattern of words and memories.
To find text and sentences that would reflect the theme of my project I also utilized the internet as Regina Frank did for “Hermes' Mistress”. I sent out a request via e-mail for sentences to make up the text element of the sculpture. I asked each person for one sentence dealing with a memory they have of a female. Good or bad, happy or unfortunate, I only asked for one honest sentence. My intent was to communicate the memories and feelings that a varied group of individuals have of females that have had an influence or impact on them. The idea was to use the words sent back to me to both influence the creation of the sculpture as well as to print the actual text onto the surface. The memories I received were surprising and diverse, yet were linked by the shared humanity of those who sent them. I was surprised with the honest words that people shared with me and in a way I believe this to be a community piece, as it was compiled with the help of others experiences and memories.