The Power of Remembrance
In my practice as a multimedia visual artist, I have documented stages of grief over the past twenty years post 9/11. Through the totemic forms in this installation, I hope to honor my colleagues at United Airlines and all the victims who passed in this collective tragedy. Four columns stand for each of the planes involved in 9/11. Composed of over 3,000 pieces of shredded and rewoven silk, each strand honors an individual who died. Additionally, thirty-five handmade felted vessels represent “thirty-five souls”, one for each of the United and American Airlines pilots and employees who also passed that day.
My intent for The Power of Remembrance installation is to provide the viewer with a space for quiet reflection. I want to portray fragility, tranquility and strength through my use of materials. Silk is translucent, both delicate and strong, and wool, as protein fiber, has a sense of the body. Through these subtle visual cues, I hope to provide the viewer with a calm, encompassing, and powerful experience of remembrance.
