Alyssa Casey - Trim Inversion Brick, mortar, wool, paint, plastic, and trimming on coach, 39 x 41 x 85 in Created in response to Kala Art Institute's "Couch Challenge" - debuted at Kala's Annual Christmas Party, 12/15/16A big thanks to Flax and Jaquard Art Suppliers for their generous donations of fantastic supplies! Invited to transform Kala's well-loved studio couch, I was inspired by the architectural trim along the roof line of the former Heinz 57 factory that houses Kala. Having had learned bricklaying at Art Farm during the fall and with the medium fresh on my fingertips, I thought: if features of the architecture can mimic fabric trimming, can trimming mimic architecture? To explore this question, I "trimmed" the couch with bricks. Offering a further inversion of expectations, I swagged actual fabric trimming - mimicking chain - allowing the trimming to appear weightier than the brick. Now, what to do with the stained and ripped upholstery and tattered pillow edges? I tried different ways of concealing the discolorations, but then realized, no, I have to embrace them - better to reveal history than obscure the past - so each stain is painted and some are lined with fabric paint as well. Rips were filled with bright orange wool and the tattered pillow edges were sewn with orange thread, bringing attention to imperfections rather than deflecting. And how to react to the upholstery itself? There is a saying in Portuguese, "Cor de burro quando foge" (the color of a fleeing donkey). The phrase is used to describe a color that no one knows exactly what it is. This perfectly describes the couch, were these browns? taupes? beiges? Again, rather than cover up, I decided to accentuate. I hand-painted borders around each square; through juxtaposition the colors emerged, "oh, this is a pink! and this purple! and here we have a yellow and green..." The final touch was a spray of plastic jewels to create another layer, break the monotony of the squares and flatness of the stains, and to contrast with the earthy clay of the bricks.

Trim Inversion

Brick, mortar, wool, paint, plastic, and trimming on coach, 39 x 41 x 85 in

Created in response to Kala Art Institute's "Couch Challenge" - debuted at Kala's Annual Christmas Party, 12/15/16

A big thanks to Flax and Jaquard Art Suppliers for their generous donations of fantastic supplies!

Invited to transform Kala's well-loved studio couch, I was inspired by the architectural trim along the roof line of the former Heinz 57 factory that houses Kala. Having had learned bricklaying at Art Farm during the fall and with the medium fresh on my fingertips, I thought: if features of the architecture can mimic fabric trimming, can trimming mimic architecture? To explore this question, I "trimmed" the couch with bricks. Offering a further inversion of expectations, I swagged actual fabric trimming - mimicking chain - allowing the trimming to appear weightier than the brick.

Now, what to do with the stained and ripped upholstery and tattered pillow edges? I tried different ways of concealing the discolorations, but then realized, no, I have to embrace them - better to reveal history than obscure the past - so each stain is painted and some are lined with fabric paint as well. Rips were filled with bright orange wool and the tattered pillow edges were sewn with orange thread, bringing attention to imperfections rather than deflecting.

And how to react to the upholstery itself? There is a saying in Portuguese, "Cor de burro quando foge" (the color of a fleeing donkey). The phrase is used to describe a color that no one knows exactly what it is. This perfectly describes the couch, were these browns? taupes? beiges? Again, rather than cover up, I decided to accentuate. I hand-painted borders around each square; through juxtaposition the colors emerged, "oh, this is a pink! and this purple! and here we have a yellow and green..."

The final touch was a spray of plastic jewels to create another layer, break the monotony of the squares and flatness of the stains, and to contrast with the earthy clay of the bricks.

lysacasey@gmail.com