This is in Lieu of Flowers
Amelia Rodriguez
See it On Campus: Level 1
Visitor Inforoom D1362, first floor sculpture studio :)
While there are various different narratives, conceptions, and motifs that ring through my installation “This is in Lieu of Flowers”, the most prominent theme is childhood. By crafting a mobile made structurally of only tinfoil, hung from the ceiling by tire chains and adorned with my own stuffed animals, the dualities are slightly bizarre. is it soft, like the plushies that have been slept on, sweat on, wrung through the washing machine and hung to dry hundreds of times? Or is it crunchy? Heavy and sharp like the tinfoil its crusted in and the tire chains it hangs from? The faint glow of fake candles allows for just enough light to read the text on the pillow, but hardly much more. The air filled mattress floats upon four wry tinfoil legs anchored to the ground by bricks. A handwoven blanket that is slightly too small adorns the bed. Big enough to keep you warm but small enough to leave you cold. The pillow itself, dirty and tattered, fits inside a pristine white pillowcase. Embroidered with an adorable dog and repulsive text, further highlighting the installations dualities and parallels.
