Consumed, (2017); Beluga intestine, thread, found objects; Dimensions variable
Consumed addresses the immense volume of “things” we gather around us in life, questioning the social values they bring with them and their impact on us. A wide array of items are stitched into translucent, papery segments of beluga whale intestine, that have been dried according to a traditional process now fallen into disuse. The selection of objects includes elastic bands, ear buds, a rosary, a condom, a cut-up credit card, matches… Through food chains laced with industrial chemicals and microplastics, we literally consume toxic byproducts from our massive scale of production. The presence of religious paraphernalia in this collection emphasizes that the objects in our life are not ideologically passive either—the things we physically interact with affect us psychologically and emotionally.