Tribbulations

2023

Tribbulations is part of a Portmanteaus series about plans that go awry, timelines that slip, and projects that run into snags outside of one’s control. The word portmanteau refers to a suitcase-like container or two words that have been joined together to form a combined meaning.

I love puns and wordplay in my work. Tribbulations is lined with faux fur and the title is a nod to a classic Star Trek episode with a furry plot twist. The choice to use a box shape leans in to the idea that every story has an internal or personal version and an external version that you tell to other people. Red is often a color used to communicate a stop and the theme of the pieces in this series is to talk about things that stop momentum from going forward. I used softer or analogous colors to red to sort of play with the idea that these ideas were not quite a hard stop or an end, but more the idea of things that were in the way of progress.

Sculptural paper box with hand embroidered paper. 4x4x4 inches.

Exhibitions

Monochrome. North Suburban Center for the Arts. May – June 2023.
Honorable Mention award for exceptional artistic effort and concept

Up Close & Sculptural, Minnetonka Center for the Arts at Ridgedale Center, October 2024 – February 2025