The Pin Series
Because of the cyclical way in which I work, a series of related pieces will often span several years and this has certainly been the case with The Pin Series.
The series started in 2001 with the development of the Pin Ritual performance.
Originally I had a simple sculptural idea about making a piece of translucent cloth heavy with pins: I was interested in the idea of adding weight to something that might not be strong enough to hold it. However, this idea quickly developed into a performance piece when I realised that the simple act of pinning gave people a safe space in which to talk. Something about me working with my hands in such a familiar and soothing way encourages the sharing of tales, secrets, thoughts and memories.
Consequently I have collected and shared many Pin Stories over the years and Pin Ritual has become my longest running performance. Its most recent performance was in 2013 and it will continue until all the fabric is pinned.
The later sculptures, Scatter and Quiver, were made in 2006 because I wanted to return to the original idea of making hanging sculptures from fabric made heavy with pins. I am currently working on a large pin piece called Pelt. This piece was started in 2007 but was in stasis for several years - hey, no one ever said my process was fast! Eventually it will be entirely covered in pins.
Further work from this series can be found on The Pin Series Flickr page.