The Pine Marten Installation, installation, dimensions variable, 2002

When I was a kid, my grandmother had a house in the Rocky Mountains. We would go out there every year to visit. During these visits, a highlight was seeing the pine martens. Members of my family would enthusiastically talk about seeing a pine marten out on the deck or ask if had I seen it's tracks out in the snow, and so on, but I never once caught a glimpse of one. I was a small child so I wasn't certain if it was a real or make believe animal, so it took on this fictional and magic quality. I'm sure my family's excitement about having seen one added to this quality. To this day I have never seen a pine marten in real life and as an adult the pine marten still retains these properties of myth, wonder and unreality.

This installation is essentially a presentation or proposal for a lifestyle. It speaks to the social, domestic and physical relationships a participant/viewer has with the work. The events and activities surrounding the objects are what constitute my idea of art; basically this relationship between viewer and object is what defines the work.

To present personal myth on the platform of lifestyle is an attempt to share that sense of the fantastic with my audience, as well as enable them to access their own versions of myth and how it affects their day-to-day lives.

The installation is comprised of three geometric tree structures, which function as storage units. The contents of all three units are there for the people within the space to use. They are made out of medium density fiberboard coated with a high polish automotive finish and have maple drawers and shelves. The smallest "tree" contains a selection from my record collection. The medium storage unit contains two phonograph turntables and a mixer, set up for use. The third and largest unit contains five "pine marten" costumes and matching pillows.

These costumes are derived from a combination of traditional Japanese clothing and casual Western clothing with cues alluding to the physical characteristics of the pine marten. The costumes are made from brown wool suit cloth, with the sleeves dyed black and have Scotchlite piping.

The storage units are surrounded by an upholstered, raised platform, which has a custom blanket attached to the top of it. There are various access holes for participants to crawl beneath the blanket.

There are also vacuum formed acrylic lamps in the form of snowflakes and vacuum formed ABS plastic snowflake wall panels. These serve as a both decorative elements and a way to push the unreality of the environment.

The idea behind all of this is the creation of a winter wonderland where you can hangout, listen to records and maybe take a nap.