R e c l a i m s
O
f t h e D a y
s t o r y
b y
R a c h e l Scha let Crabb
Annin and a welded
steel armature, fresh
from her shop.
Dining In, 1992
steel armature,
fabric, can tabs,
bottle caps, thread
5.2 x2.3 x1.25 ft.
M A R IL Y N A N N IN ’S S C U L P T U R E S
h a v e a g h o s t l y p r e s e n c e . E a c h
i n h a b i t s a g a r m e n t w i t h t h e s o r t
o f d e t a i l a n d t e x t u r e a s s o c i a t e d
w i t h r o b e s w o r n b y m e d i e v a l
r o y a l t y , y e t t h e f ig u r e s a r e e m p t y ,
d i s e m b o d i e d . T a k e a f e w s t e p s
c l o s e r , a n d y o u m a y b e s t a r t l e d
t o f i n d t h e s o u r c e o f a ll t h i s
g r a n d e u r : t r a s h . W e l l , n o t t r a s h ,
e x a c t l y , b u t t h e f l o t s a m a n d
j e t s a m o f a c o n s u m e r s o c i e t y ,
t h e t r e a s u r e d f in d s o f t h e m a g -
p i e , t h e s t r a y b u t t o n s f r o m t h e
b u t t o n j a r , t h e s c r a p s o f f a b r i c
i n u s e l e s s s h a p e s t o o p r e t t y t o
t h r o w a w a y .
F r o m t h e t h o u s a n d s o f th i n g s
w e f lic k a w a y i n t h e i r w e i g h t l e s s -
n e s s , A n n i n c o m p o s e s g a r m e n t s
s o w e i g h t y t h e y c o u l d n e v e r b e
w o r n b y a h u m a n b e i n g .
T h e m a t e r i a l s s h e u s e s a r e a
c r i t i c a l p a r t o f t h e m e s s a g e , a s
w e l l a s a n a e s t h e t i c c h o i c e .
032 american craft dec/jani2
