Don't Try This at Home (2007)
Lauren Davies
Accumulation: A multi-year collection of lint gathered from family, friends, and anonymous residents of the Mission District, Emeryville & Mill Valley, ongoing
Dryer lint, thread
Lauren Davies' deceivingly playful corner installation of lintballs and collection of dog sculptures challenge our assumptions of household waste. Instead of being viewed as undesired byproducts of the weekly load of laundry or of the frequent brushing of dogs and removal of hair from the living room furniture, Davies actively collects these as raw source material for these series of works. The copious dryer lint collection that she has amassed over the years grew substantially in the past several weeks, with family, friends, colleagues, and acquaintances all coming forward with their bags of lint diverted from the garbage can. Peer in for a closer look, and you can see hair, torn up bits of candy wrappers, and the millions of fibers from washed and dried t-shirts, bath towels, blankets, jeans, socks. The dogs are anatomically correct scaled versions of West Highland White Terriers, of which Davies has three. The outer surface is West Highland White Terrier hair as well. She conjures up a world of fantastical proportions, where the overlooked detritus of home become reanimated items.
Don't Try This at Home
September 17 - October 13, 2007
Intersection for the Arts
San Francisco, CA
Photo credit: Scott Chernis