Once I Built My Nest Of

Ursuline Academy, Blue Ash, OH, April 2008

www.ursulineacademy.org

A vision of nesting and nesting ground was the result of a lively brainstorming session with a few key faculty members during a visit to my studio –as we were in the very beginning of planning to prepare the residency grant application.

Working with the idea of nesting- and the history of Ursuline Academy, founded in 1896, as a catholic high school for young women, our installation had two parts. One part to rest on the floor and form a circular structure that encircles a length of white fabric suspended from the ceiling. The second part: a series of text and images- that were projected onto the fabric.

The school‘s desire for an interdisciplinary approach meant that classes were selected on the basis of the interest of the individual teacher. One art class, 3DDesign was selected as a core group. The other two core groups were German 1 and environmental science. Peripheral groups came from a wide range of subject areas- including chemistry, English, religion and American studies.

The three core groups worked on the nest structure. This structure was made of laser printed and hand drawn images- glued to floral wire and gathered into “bouquets”. Bouquets were placed around the circle on the floor over a layer of de-leafed honeysuckle branches and string lights. Black netting was tucked generously around each bouquet.

Images of oak and laurel leaves were selected for their significance to the school's traditions/ history. The original school building was on Oak St. in Cincinnati. Crowns of laurel are given at graduation. Faces of UA graduates from a 1943 yearbook became the features on two sets of enlarged oak leaves. Students used drawing ink and a brush to integrate the features into the shape of each leaf.

The peripheral groups generated the text and images for the projection. Most of the 15+ peripheral groups met with me one time. Our basic activity began with writing using the prompt: “Once I Built My Nest Of”. Students selected several of their individual responses to read aloud in group poem that traveled through each group. Students then worked in small groups to create nests with various materials (different materials and combinations of materials were given to different classes). Each nest was built in the hands of one of the students. As each nest was completed the groups came over to me for the photo shoot portion of the program. Text written by the sisters who live and work at the Ursuline motherhouse in St Martin, Ohio – as well as images of their hands holding eggs and nests - were also incorporated into the projected slide show.

Several slide shows are available here at right.


Once I Built My Nest, final exhibition

Detail from Once I Built My Nest - clouded egg

Once I Built My Nest masks view 1

Once I Built My Nest masks view 2

Once I Built My Nest construction of the masks

Once I Built My Nest - making a nestOnce I Built My Nest - making a nest 2

Once I Built Our Nest - egg in the nest

Once I Built My Nest - feather nest

 

 

Ursuline Academy Residency Process

Ursuline Academy Senior Sisters and Students

Ursuline Academy Chemistry Slide Show

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