Below is the
information and statement for my upcoming installation:
304
Valencia Street (at 14th St.)
San
Francisco
September
16th – November 3rd, 2012
Opening
Reception
Sunday,
September 16th, 6 pm - 9 pm
I have always been
interested in history, from the big moments to the everyday. I have a special fascination for San
Francisco history. I even like to
look-up the history of spots in my neighborhood. For a relatively young city, San Francisco has a rich,
layered history. It is also a city
full of ghosts. It made me wonder
about the space at 304 Valencia.
What was there long before Glama-Rama?
Now, just imagine what
it was like at 304 Valencia Street when they were renovating and moving into
the new location for Glama-Rama.
Imagine a trip to a dusty, dark basement and finding a forgotten corner. They might have discovered a box filled
with discarded items from a long gone tenant. Imagine Val Travel.
Ask yourself, could a
former travel agency be haunted?
What sort of ghosts would be there? I like to think it could be a place of pleasant and happy
spirits. The positive energy left
behind would be from the years of customers coming by to plan and anticipate
exciting adventures. A salon and a
travel agency have something in common.
They are both places that fulfill dreams and make our lives more glamorous.
It’s no accident that Glama-Rama found a new home at 304 Valencia.
With this mind, I wanted
to create a new series of travel themed, mixed media pieces using
travel-related ephemera. The
installation at Glama-Rama Salon & Gallery is meant to infuse the space
with the soul of an imaginary, long lost travel agency. The work pays homage to all travel
agencies because they have all but vanished from our urban landscapes.
I reuse and repurpose
old bits of paper, everything from maps to postcards to stamps to photographs
to magazines to various travel ephemera.
Recycling is only part of the agenda. Even though I may destroy certain items to reuse them, there
is a side of historic preservation with my work. Rather than tucking something in a box or drawer, I prefer
to permanently add it to a piece of art.
The work may have aesthetic value, but it also can serve as a time
capsule by using items that would otherwise be lost or forgotten. Many of the items I use are being
rendered “obsolete” in our digital society. Snapshots, postage stamps, tickets stubs are among things
that are vanishing from our day-to-day lives.
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