Labor, Loss, and the Acquisitions of the Cunning
Labor, Loss and the Acquisition of the Cunning, 2013, vinyl, wood, paper, plastic, dimensions variable
Labor, Loss, and the Acquisition of the Cunning consists of cut vinyl referencing papel picado, a type of Mexican cultural production in which intricate designs are cut from thin squares of paper. The project uses the labor-intensive, culturally appropriated tradition as metaphors of six pillars of industry: construction, manufacturing, domesticity, agriculture, energy and automotive.
Across from the icon-laced, steel beams, are three architectonic structures holding wrecking balls made of white paper as opposed to forged steel. The wrecking ball, once a symbol for industrial progress and innovation is transformed into artifice. The installation references destruction and construction as it relates to the moral conundrum of labor and commerce.