Project 4 - Installation

For this project, David and I worked together to define and transform a stairwell using mason twine.

The prompt was to choose a place on campus that is neutral or forgotten. Using simple materials, we were to explore, define, redefine, or transform the space, taking into account the space itself and any connotations it may hold.


     

Idea sketches

The ideas we brainstormed mainly involved places around campus that many people walk by or through frequently, yet don't pay attention to. We considered locations such as the formal gardens, various benches around campus, and hallway ceilings.

The idea we chose was to use string to "draw" in the air above the formal gardens, tying the string to the columns. However, due to concerns about the columns' stability, we had to choose another location. We decided on the stairwell between the third and second floor of Adams.

I thought that string would be an interesting medium to use to explore space; the versatility of lines and angles, along with the capacity for drawing shapes in the air, interested me. After considering many potential configurations, we settled on creating a flat plane by criss-crossing the string across the fences/walls, leaving an open shape in the center.

We began by creating one circle of string and anchoring it to the three main sides. For the first several strings, David tied off one end of the string at the outside, then tossed the spool of string down to me, then I would toss it back through the center shape and he would tie it to another area, creating an angle. Once the shape we wanted was in place, we attached strings more spontaneously, tying string and throwing the spool back and forth to fill in the area around the center shape. We went through a spool and a half of mason twine, around 1,500 feet in total!

 The stairwell where our installation was located

The beginnings of the installation

The finished installation

(photo by David Peterson)

Overall, our intention was to define the area of the space by creating a kind of semi-permeable ceiling, inviting passersby to engage with and be aware of the space in an atypical way. Most of the time, people walking up and down these stairs aren't paying attention to the location, but are just rushing on to their destination. By creating this installation, the focus shifts from the stairs to the areas above and below. The structure's shape, with the central hole, offers a framed view of the sky above. It creates a threshold in between the stairs and the sky, offering an expanded definition of the purpose of a stairwell. No longer simply a means to travel from one location to another, the viewer becomes aware of the limits and expansion of the space, their viewpoint, and their own movement through the location.

  

  

The sky/installation at various points of the process