HERON 1954 - 2002

Situated within public space, HERON is a single-channel video and sound installation that draws on the phenomena of makeshift memorials. These small gestures of mourning can take on a myriad of forms: small white crosses scattered along the roadside, a ghost bike near a busy intersection, scribbled condolences that rest on public sidewalks, or a utility pole adorned in a bouquet of plastic flowers, miniature Mylar balloons, and a plush stuffed animal.  HERON draws from the emergent discourse on public monuments and memorial building and questions: who has the power and privilege of being remembered? And in what forms does this act of remembrance take place?   

HERON is an active grief work that honors the life of a loved one who died due to an accidental opioid overdose. The work materializes the process of working through overdue bereavement and invokes a fragmented presence at the periphery of the mind.  The use of a scanner and 16mm film produces soft-focused images of broken glass and debris, the warped image of a man’s face shifting in place, the balance between the beautiful and the grotesque. Offerings towards the memory of those passed on, their favorite brand of cigarettes, flowers, and a bronze figurine of the project’s namesake, Heron.

Color, 16mm film transferred to 4K video & stereo sound installation.

Full Length Score [via SoundCloud]
Columbus + Central Ohio Harm Reduction Resources [Ongoing]

Full Credits
Detailed Project Info Deck & Visual Sample

Installation images of HERON 1954 - 2002


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