J a s p e r J o h n s —is a p p a r e n t in P r e d ’ s p r e f e r -
e n c e f o r f o u n d a n d d is c a r d e d o b j e c t s a n d
f o r im a g e s s u c h a s fla g s a n d t a r g e t s . L e s s
o b v i o u s b u t e v e n m o r e n o t a b le is t h e in flu -
e n c e o f P r e d ’ s f a t h e r , a p r o f e s s o r o f c u lt u r a l
g e o g r a p h y a t U C B e r k e l e y , a n d P r e d ’ s o w n
c h ild h o o d e x p e r ie n c e s s it t in g a r o u n d th e
d in in g t a b le l i s t e n i n g t o g r a d u a t e s t u d e n t s
d is c u s s e c o n o m i c s , l i n g u i s t i c s , r e li g i o n ,
f e m in is m a n d a r t . C o n s e q u e n t l y , P r e d e x -
p lo r e s t h e n e x u s o f p e r s o n a l, p o lit ic a l a n d
c u lt u r a l id e n t it y w i t h u n u s u a l e a s e in w o r k s
s u c h a s
San Francisco Grooms,
a th r e e - t ie r e d
p i n k w e d d i n g c a k e t o p p e d w i t h t w o b r i d e -
g r o o m s , a n d
Hand Work,
a n in s t a lla t io n
c o m p r i s i n g h a n d - k n it p o t h o ld e r s s h e c o l -
le c t e d in t h r i f t s t o r e s in S w e d e n . ( P r e d is
h a lf - S w e d is h a n d s p e n t c h ild h o o d s u m m e r s
in S c a n d in a v ia , c o m p a r in g S w e d is h n o r m s
w i t h u . s . c o n v e n t io n s ) .
O v e r t h e p a s t e i g h t y e a r s , P r e d h a s
w o r k e d w i t h e x p i r e d N e w Y o r k C i t y M e t -
r o C a r d s , o ld g a s p u m p n o z z l e s a n d a ir p la n e
T h e o b je c ts t h a t M ic h e le P r e d a s s e m b le s in to
in s t a lla t io n s o r s c u lp tu r e s a r e s h a r p , p r o v o c a t iv e
a n d m e ta p h o r ic a lly lo a d e d — p o c k e t k n iv e s ,
sc iss o r s , d is c a r d e d c e llp h o n e c h a r g e r s .
w i n g s s a lv a g e d f r o m j u n k y a r d s .
Security
Blanket
is a t h in , fla t , s h in y w a l l p ie c e
e l e g a n t l y c r a f t e d f r o m a n in t e r n a t io n a l
s e le c t io n o f r a z o r b la d e s : P a k is t a n i, I n d ia n ,
I r a n ia n , G e r m a n , A m e r ic a n , J a p a n e s e a n d
C z e c h .
Medusa
is a i o - f o o t - lo n g c u r ly ju m b le
o f d is c a r d e d c e llp h o n e c h a r g e r s . A r r a n g e d
s id e b y s id e o n a w a l l, t h e c e llp h o n e c h a r -
g e r s r e s e m b le s c i- fi p a lm f r o n d s . “ H o w e v e r
u g ly t h e y m a y b e in d iv id u a ll y ,” P r e d n o t e s ,
“ t h e s e m a s s - p r o d u c e d p i e c e s t a k e o n
a n i n t r ig u in g o r g a n ic q u a lit y w h e n p la c e d
t o g e t h e r .” B y p la c in g fa m ilia r o b je c t s in
a n e w fr a m e o f r e f e r e n c e , P r e d c o m p o s e s
r e fle c t io n s o n c o n t e m p o r a r y c u lt u r e t h a t
a r e in t e n t io n a lly c o m p le x .
I n 2 0 0 7 , P r e d b e g a n e x p lo r in g t h e c o n -
n e c t io n s b e t w e e n c r a f t a n d c o m p u t e r c o d e .
W o r k i n g w it h b la c k t h r e a d o n w h i t e c a n -
v a s , s h e h a n d - e m b r o id e r e d a 2 -D b a r c o d e
( t h e b la c k - a n d - w h it e g e o m e t r ic p a t t e r n s
t h a t c o d e th e u r l s o f w e b s i t e s ) . I n t h e a c t,
s h e lin k e d t h e a n c ie n t p r a c t ic e o f e m b r o i-
d e r y w i t h 2 1 s t - c e n t u r y t e c h n o lo g y ; s h e a ls o
in d i r e c t ly r e f e r e n c e d t h e h is t o r ic a l lin k
b e t w e e n w e a v i n g a n d c o m p u t i n g , w h i c h
t r a c e s c o n t e m p o r a r y c o d i n g b a c k t o t h e
p u n c h c a r d p a t t e r n - m a k in g s y s t e m o f th e
1 9 t h - c e n t u r y J a c q u a r d lo o m . A n y c e llp h o n e
w i t h t h e a p p r o p r ia t e a p p lic a t io n c a n r e a d
P r e d ’s e m b r o id e r e d c o d e a n d c o n n e c t to
a n o n lin e m e s s a g e d is p la y in g t h e t i t le
T>u
Are IVhat 'Viu Buy.
P r e d e x p lo r e d t h e a c t i v is t p o t e n t ia l
o f h e r b a r c o d e a s t e p f u r t h e r in 2 0 0 9 w i t h
a p r in t e n t it le d
Blue and Fttllow 2D Barcode.
O n B l a c k F r i d a y , s h e s h o p d r o p p e d ( t h e
r e v e r s e o f s h o p lif t in g in t h a t o n e c o v e r t l y
p la c e s it e m s in a s t o r e ) 10 c o p ie s o f
Blue and
Fellow 2D Barcode
in a lo c a l i k e a . T h a t
a f t e r n o o n , s h e m e n t io n e d i t o n F a c e b o o k
a n d t h e s t o r y w e n t v i r a l . T w e n t y - f o u r
h o u r s la t e r , a ll p r in t s h a d s o ld , a n d P r e d
w a s c o n t e m p l a t i n g t h e u n a n t ic ip a t e d ,
in t e r a c t iv e d im e n s io n h e r w o r k h a d t a k e n .
Blue and Yellow 2D Barcode
h a d e x p a n d e d
h e r p a le t t e t o in c lu d e s o c ia l n e t w o r k i n g —
a v ir t u a l p e t r i d is h f o r t h e 2 1 s t c e n t u r y .
T h e m a t e r ia l o f c y b e r s p a c e w a s a lr e a d y
d e v e lo p i n g h e r id e a s in n e w d ir e c t io n s .
M ija R iedel writes about the arts, cultural icons
and sustainability. She’s currently work ini’
on a series o f interviews for the Smithsonian’s
Archives o f American Art.
♦
m ic h e le p r e d .c o m
apr/may 10 american craft 059
