We thank Southern Exposure for awarding a grant to iiiahh in their Alternative Exposure 2009 Program, and we congratulate the 16 other grantees.
VISUAL SUPPORT:
1. iiiahh
“Fonthill Abbey Tower”
2009
collage
24″ by 24″
Our protagonist, William Beckford, had an obsession with building gothic towers for his collection and building them with such speed that a strong wind could hit the enormous flag at the top and topple the whole tower. Inspired by this narrative, iiiaahh made a collage image of a labyrinthine architecture below and towers flying through the sky above.
TRIVIA CARD: Barophobia is a fear of gravity, the dread that gravity will increase and crush one against the ground or floor. Since gravity is omnipresent and uniform, it is unlikely to be experienced consciously and therefore is rarely an object of phobia.
Fonthill Abbey Tower
2. iiiahh
“Fonthill Abbey Tower” – detail
2009
collage
24″ by 24″
Detail of Fonthill Abbey Tower
Fonthill Abbey Detail
3. iiiahh
“Fonthill Abbey Tower” – detail
2009
collage
24″ by 24″
Detail of Fonthill Abbey Tower
Fonthill Abbey Detail
4. iiiahh
“William Beckford’s Wigs” – profile
2009
old sweaters, thread
dimensions vary by wig
iiiahh’s wigs are the beginning of a collection about collecting. The wigs are constructed from old wool sweaters that have gone through several cycles of washing and drying. The sweaters are then cut up, and hand-sewn into the below assemblages. Each wig is different. They are meant to be worn, stroked, handled, and tossed in the air.
TRIVIA CARD: Parity Nonconservation is the long held belief that there was no right and left in nature. That if the mirror image of an object materialized, there would be no effect or change in the object. Parity was conserved. Then in 1957, scientists discovered that mirrored objects might differ from each other beyond just being reversed. Thus, in some instances nature is not neutral. It may make a difference how you look at a thing.
Wig, in profile
5. iiiahh
“William Beckford’s Wigs” – from behind
2009
old sweaters, thread
dimensions vary by wig
Wig, as seen from behind.
A wig, from behind
6. iiiahh
“William Beckford’s Wigs” – from behind
2009
old sweaters, thread
dimensions vary by wig
Wig, as seen from behind.
A wig, from behind
7. iiiahh
“William Beckford’s Wigs” – from behind
2009
old sweaters, thread
dimensions vary by wig
Wig, as seen from behind.
A wig, from behind
8. iiiahh
“Puzzle” – side 1, Running Dogs
2009
paint on plywood
iiiahh’s puzzle is double-sided. One side of the story has silhouette images of running and leaping dogs that often run across several puzzle pieces. They too can be organized by packs, direction, action, scale and so on. There is no final or ultimate goal for the puzzle — only potentials for constructing meaning through the sheer pleasure of handling things: turning, piling, joining, arranging, misaligning, setting up unanticipated accidents and categories.
Running dogs
9. iiiahh
“Puzzle” side 1, running dogs ~ detail
2009
paint on plywood
24″ by 24″
Detail of running dogs
running dogs, in detail
10. iiiahh
“Puzzle” side 2, folding paper
2009
paint on plywood
The other side of the puzzle pieces has tidy images of folded paper that can be organized by color or shape or otherwise. This side does indeed have a pattern, and can have an order — but this arrangement is completely flexible, and is determined by the participant.
Folding paper
11. iiiahh
Puzzle side 2, folding paper ~ detail
2009
paint on plywood
24″ by 24″
Detail of side 2 of the puzzle
Folding paper, detail
12. iiiahh
Puzzle, both sides
2009
paint on plywood
24″ by 24″
Both sides of the puzzles can be arranged together, in endless combinations, In its final stage, the puzzle will be accompanied by flags and turrets, and the pieces themselves can be stacked into towers.
TRIVIA CARD: Dr. Hubertus Strughold became the first person to simulate weightlessness by anesthetizing his buttocks before going up in a small plae. Strughold was brought from Germany to the United States in the 1960s hailed as a founder of space medicine until exposed for involvement with “human experiments” at the Dauchau concentration camp.
Dogs and paper
13. iiiahh
Drum Case ~ a carrying case for the wig collection
2009
paper and grommets
15″ by 20″
All the collections by iiiahh have their own carrying case, modeled after carrying cases for instruments. In the case of the wigs, they will be housed in iiiahh’s version of a drum case. In the photographs below, you can see iiiahh working backwards to construct a drum case out of paper.
constructing a case for wigs
14. iiiahh
Drum Case for carrying wigs
2009
paper and grommets
Further documentation of building the drum case
constructing carrying case for wigs
15. iiiahh
Drum Case for carrying wigs
2009
paper and grommets
15″ by 20″
Further documentation for building the drum case.
constructing carrying case for wigs