Mark Twain

In Mark Twain I am thinking about the how cities relate and interact with the water; Venice on its canals and many cities in the United States their rivers. The work takes it form from sounding lines which are weighted lengths with distances marked off at regular intervals used to measure the depth of water under a boat.  The materials are simple - folded paper, thread and lead fishing weights.  The title is inspired by the call used on riverboats “by the mark, twain” which indicates that two fathoms of water, 12 feet (3.65 meters) was present on the Mississippi River to allow a steamboat safe passage. Hung at this height, the installation is comprised of hundreds of strands of sewn components that elicit the feeling of looking up through the water from below. In essence, I am bringing a section of the canal outside inside the Arsenale building itself.  This work takes on a special relevance in Venice where the rising and falling water levels are a threat to the city. It is my homage to the history of the Arsenale and a love letter to the city of Venice and its remarkable poetry.