RECOVERED REFUGE /2023
steel, cable, found rusted artifacts
Northerly Island Park, Chicago IL
Constructed from steel collected around Northerly Island and Chicago, Recovered Refuge presents the idea of shelter built through ecologically conscious and historically significant methods. The frame of a tent-like structure cemented into the ground explores the way that stability, structure and protection lead to growth and formation of new connections.
Working outdoors for the first time pushed me not only mentally but physically to complete the task at hand, reminding me of the place that labor holds in my practice. The strenuous nature of labor challenges every step of the process forcing the artist to further plan and commit to the outcome of their work.
In many ways this piece is a tribute to Northerly Island, a large space in Chicago that lays unused and littered with scraps of the airport that used to occupy it. This piece honors the landscape and materials and elevates the space in a respectful way. I am delighted to see that others have created sculptures in the area nearby, filling the empty space like graffiti artists. This project brought me one step closer to my dream that the land could become a sculpture park.
In many ways this piece is a tribute to Northerly Island, a large space in Chicago that lays unused and littered with scraps of the airport that used to occupy it. This piece honors the landscape and materials and elevates the space in a respectful way. I am delighted to see that others have created sculptures in the area nearby, filling the empty space like graffiti artists. This project brought me one step closer to my dream that the land could become a sculpture park.
