"CLOTHING CRIMES . . . and Misdemeanors", 2020

Liliana Bloch Gallery, Dallas, TX

CLOTHING CRIMES . . . and Misdemeanors was inspired by the true crime story of my stolen car. In fall 2016 my car was stolen from the driveway behind my house. It was found two weeks later, undamaged, but containing a mysterious large pile of clothing. I began by photographing each item of clothing in my studio at life size; many pieces were photographed folded to maintain accurate dimensions. I then hand-printed each of the 88 photos via the DASS inkjet transfer process onto Legion optimized Yupo paper, an extremely smooth surface developed uniquely for the DASS process. I chose the transfer process for my project because the ink of a transferred image does not absorb into the paper, but rests on the surface, much like a pressed plant specimen rests on the surface of the paper in a botanical archive. After researching protocols for examining clothing found at a crime scene, and harkening back to my biology background, I have created an alternative artist’s book, a taxonomic collection of the clothing found in my car, complete with invented Latin genus and species names for each item. Two text prints, UUMV 1 and OOTD 2, function as the front and back covers, and the title of my wall-displayed alternative artist’s book. Continued research led to the creation of several additional installation works dealing with clothing crimes.

1 UUMV stands for ‘unauthorized use of a motor vehicle’ and is the legal code for car theft.
2 OOTD stands for ‘outfit of the day’ and is commonly used as a hashtag on social media.


"UUMV / OOTD" (installation view at Liliana Bloch Gallery)
Medium: alternative artist's book (handmade DASS inkjet transfer prints on optimized Yupo paper, ink, steel pushpins, wood frames)
Installation Size: variable; Print Size: 13´´W x 19´´H
Photo Credit: Todora Photography

"UUMV / OOTD" (installation detail in studio)
Medium: alternative artist's book (handmade DASS inkjet transfer prints on optimized Yupo paper, ink, steel pushpins, wood frames)
Installation Size: variable; Print Size: 13´´W x 19´´H

"UUMV / OOTD" (installation detail in studio)
Medium: alternative artist's book (handmade DASS inkjet transfer prints on optimized Yupo paper, ink, steel pushpins, wood frames)
Installation Size: variable; Print Size: 13´´W x 19´´H

"Camisia frilium" (installation detail)
Medium: handmade DASS inkjet transfer print on optimized Yupo paper, ink, steel pushpins
Print Dimensions: 13´´W x 19´´H

"Interula nigra" (installation detail)
Medium: handmade DASS inkjet transfer print on optimized Yupo paper, ink, steel pushpins
Print Dimensions: 13´´W x 19´´H

"Strophium retiaculum" (installation detail)
Medium: handmade DASS inkjet transfer print on optimized Yupo paper, ink, steel pushpins
Print Dimensions: 13´´W x 19´´H

"Soccus clavi v. altus" (installation detail)
Medium: handmade DASS inkjet transfer print on optimized Yupo paper, ink, steel pushpins
Print Dimensions: 13´´W x 19´´H

JENZ / LWEZ: after James Joyce, 2020
This wall installation is an alternative artist’s book. It features 10 pairs of women’s jeans found in the recovered stolen car. Manila tags attached to each pair of jeans feature words from the first and last paragraphs of the James Joyce short story Eveline, in which a young woman struggles to decide whether she will join a young man to leave her home in Ireland forever. The title JENZ / LWEZ is a contrived phrase of exclamation that reminds me of the wonderful verbal play in the writings of James Joyce.


"JENZ / LWEZ: after James Joyce" (installation view #1 at Liliana Bloch Gallery)
Medium: alternative artist's book (blue jeans, steel pushpins, ink on manila tags, handmade DASS inkjet transfer prints on optimized Yupo paper, wood frames )
Text: "She sat at the window watching the evening invade the avenue.
Her head was leaned against the window curtains and in her nostrils was the odor of dusty cretonne. She was tired . . .
Installation Size: variable; Print Size: 13´´W x 19´´H
Photo Credit: Todora Photography

"JENZ / LWEZ: after James Joyce" (installation view #2 at Liliana Bloch Gallery)
Medium: alternative artist's book (blue jeans, steel pushpins, ink on manila tags, handmade DASS inkjet transfer prints on optimized Yupo paper, wood frames)
Text: . . . 'Eveline! Evvy!' . . . He was shouted at to go on but he still called to her.
Her eyes gave him no sign of love or farewell or recognition."
Installation Size: variable; Print Size: 13´´W x 19´´H
Photo Credit: Todora Photography

"JENZ / LWEZ: after James Joyce" (installation detai)
Medium: blue jeans, ink on manila tag
Text: "She sat at the window . . ."
Installation Dimensions: variable

"JENZ / LWEZ: after James Joyce" (installation detai)
Medium: blue jeans, ink on manila tag
Text: " . . . watching the evening invade the avenue."
Installation Dimensions: variable

"JENZ / LWEZ: after James Joyce" (installation detai)
Medium: blue jeans, ink on manila tag
Text: "She was tired."
Installation Dimensions: variable

JSTC: after Oliver Ready, 2020
A large broadside featuring glitchéd text points to the irony of Oliver Ready’s words in his introduction to the novel Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky. Translation: ‘A man will commit a crime. He will be caught. He will be punished. His fate will revolve around the conflict between freedom and conscience, the delinquent individual and the punitive state. Justice, no doubt, will be done.’



"JSTC: after Oliver Ready"
Medium: paint, Archival digital pigment print on 100% cotton rag paper,
handmade DASS transfer print on optimized Yupo paper,
wood frame, bulldog clips, steel pushpins, ink on manila tag
Installation dimensions: variable, Digital print dimensions: 44x58´´, DASS print dimensions: 13x19´´

"JSTC: after Oliver Ready" (installation detail)
Medium: Archival digital pigment print on 100% cotton rag paper, ink on manila tag
Installation dimensions: variable

PROM / RVNG, 2020
This wall installation references my experience of being excluded from attending a high school prom as a result of my male date being banned from attendance for criminal mischief. The actual dress, crinoline and gloves purchased for the event are part of the installation.



"PROM / RVNG" (installation view at Liliana Bloch Gallery)
Medium: artist’s wallpaper, vintage prom dress, shawl, and gloves, plastic storage bags,
DASS inkjet transfer prints on optimized Yupo paper, book, tape, steel pushpin
Installation dimensions: variable; DASS transfer print dimensions: 13´´W x 19´´
Photo Credit: Todora Photography

"PROM / RVNG" (partial installation view)
Medium: artist’s wallpaper, vintage prom dress, shawl, plastic storage bag,
DASS transfer prints on optimized Yupo paper, book, tape, steel pushpins
Installation dimensions: variable; DASS transfer print dimensions: 13´´W x 19´´H

"PROM / RVNG" (partial installation view)
Medium: artist’s wallpaper, vintage prom dress, plastic storage bag,
DASS transfer print on optimized Yupo paper, book, tape, steel pushpins
Installation dimensions: variable; DASS transfer print dimensions: 13´´W x 19´´H

"PROM / RVNG", 2020 (partial installation view)
Medium: vintage shawl, plastic storage bag,
DASS transfer print on optimized Yupo paper, book, tape, steel pushpins
Installation dimensions: variable; DASS transfer print dimensions: 13´´W x 19´´H

PNTY / RAID, 2020
This installation includes a sculptural wall pile of 25 pairs of women’s panties found inside my recovered stolen car in 2016.


PNTY / RAID(installation view at Liliana Bloch Gallery)
Medium: panties, handmade DASS inkjet transfer prints on optimized Yupo paper, wood frame
Installation dimensions: variable; DASS print dimensions: 13´´W x19´´H
Photo Credit: Todora Photography

"PNTY / RAID", 2020 (installation detail in studio)
Medium: panties, steel pushpins
Installation dimensions: variable

DOPL / GNGR, 2020
This wall installation includes two glitchéd photographs of my mother and her twin brother as children. They are dressed in stylish wool coats and matching raccoon coats made from a cut-apart adult coat, conjuring memories of family crimes of fashion.



DOPL / GNGR (installation view at Liliana Bloch Gallery)
Medium: UV cured ink on vinyl, blue painters tape, DASS inkjet transfer prints on optimized Yupo paper, wood frames
Installation dimensions: variable; Vinyl print dimensions: 30´´W x 30´´H, DASS print dimensions: 13´´W x19´´H
Photo Credit: Todora Photography

DOPL / GNGR(installation detail)
Medium: UV cured ink on vinyl, blue painters tape
Vinyl print dimensions: 30´´W x 30´´H

AT17, 2020
In this work I draw a comparison between a photograph of my teenaged self with friends and a 1974 song by Janis Ian. The sound element in this installation is an ‘assist’. 4

4 The sound element in this installation is an ‘assist’ and as such, it is not for sale.
  The buyer will supply their own ‘assist’ to complete the work.


"AT17"(installation view in studio)
Medium: UV cured ink on vinyl, blue painters tape, DASS inkj t transfer print on optimized Yupo paper, wood frame, sound
Installation dimensions: variable, Vinyl print dimensions: 30´´W x 30´´H, DASS print dimensions: 13´´W x 19´´H

"AT17" (installation detail)
Medium: UV cured ink on vinyl, blue painters tape
Vinyl print dimensions: 30´´W x 30´´H

UUMV: The Car,2020
This is a framed handmade print of an iPhone photograph of my recovered stolen car parked in my driveway.


"UUMV / OOTD: The Car"
Medium: Hand-sanitizer transfer print on Stonehenge paper, wood frame
Installation dimensions: 13´´W x 19´´H

CLOTHING CRIMES . . . and Misdemeanors: The Take-Away, 2020
This tabloid newspaper is offset-printed with image details of UUMV / OOTD on one side, and an essay about the project by writer/curator Danielle Avram on the other side.


"UUMV / OOTD: The Takeaway" (installation view at Liliana Bloch Gallery with critical essay by Danielle Avram)
Medium: offset print on newsprint paper, steel pushpins, steel tool cabinet
Installation dimensions: variable; Takeaway dimensions: 15´´W x 12´´H folded, 15´´W x 24´´H open
Photo Credit: Todora Photography

"UUMV / OOTD: The Takeaway" (installation detail at Liliana Bloch Gallery with critical essay by Danielle Avram)
Medium: offset print on newsprint paper, steel pushpins
Takeaway dimensions: 15´´W x 12´´H folded, 15´´W x 24´´H open
Photo Credit: Todora Photography


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