Dina Sherman
projects drawing wordplay collaborations writing


Text Based Pieces

Over Extension

Over Extension, detail

Over Extension, detail

Over Kill, detail

Over Kill, detail

nothing is very complicated

nothing is very complicated, detail

How I Felt About You

How I Felt About You, progress

How I Felt About You, detail


Description

The textile installation work involves spelling out several key phrases by extending thread through paper. Over Extension ties two pieces of paper together with the accumulated thread dangling between them, while More only involves one thread extending onto the floor. Because of the puncturing process involved in getting the thread through the fibrous sheets, the paper’s fragility becomes tangible and reflects the fragility inherent in language and communication. Together the pieces explore the tension of language in a way that is playful and elegant. Currently, there are 3 pieces in this vein, and they exist as 9 by 12 inch sheets of bristol paper.

The vinyl text piece is called nothing is very complicated. Approximately 6 feet across and 6 inches tall, the piece consists of white vinyl lettering on a white wall, making the text almost invisible. Once a glimmer is caught by the viewer’s eye, however, it turns the words into a hidden (in plain sight) treasure. The text, which is also the title of the work and the exhibit, has a double meaning and hints at the fact that many parts of our language have more potential than we may initially assume.

How I Felt About You. Consisting of a large piece of felt (approximately 6 feet by 6 feet), human hair, a pair of scissors, and a bowl, this piece is an interactive project. Viewers are encouraged to cut a small piece of hair and place it in the bowl provided. Using a needle felting tool, I later incorporate their donated hair into the larger felt piece, spelling out the word “Good.” I intend for the piece to create a shared experience between the viewers and the artwork, because a part of them is literally in it. Because of the sensation of seeing their own bodily part incorporated into an artwork, viewers are more likely to be invested in the work, thereby building a small community around the near-collaborative experience.


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