Being There

A participatory project that used textiles and direct printmaking as a way to talk about presence, absence, and ephemerality.
Participants were invited to make rubbings either of their surroundings at the Sky Village Swap Meet, or of objects that I had collected in the area.

Rubbing (or Frottage) is one of the oldest forms of print-making. It is a tactile memory, rendered by hand. Using pigmented wax, graphite or similar media, one transfers the shape and texture of the item being rubbed onto fabric or paper. The rubbing reveals minute details of the chosen object or place, and can only be done in person, on site. By mindfully and repeatedly passing the hand over a surface, one engages with the object or place, and describes its features in a direct, physical way.

In the US, this printmaking method is most often used in gravestone rubbings, either to make a permanent record of gravestones that are deteriorating, or as a type of souvenir. This work was inspired by both of these uses. The project was based near Joshua Tree California, a well-known, bohemian tourist destination in the desert, often visited on a surface level. As Joshua Tree gains in popularity and visitors, the area is also rapidly gentrifying and faces growing environmental challenges. This project provided participants with a physical connection to the site, and a tool for seeing the environment in a deeper and more personal way.

Presented Through High Desert Test Sites at Sky Village Swap Meet in Yucca Valley, California.

2017