Wall Label: 'Trace Whale'
Ink, Graphite, Dye, Trace Paper, Tape, Dyed Paper on Canvas
90.25 x 38.5 in

"While collaborating with scientists, I became intrigued by the whiteboard as both a workspace for thought and a living document. In past exhibits, I’ve created my own whiteboards to share how an artist thinks through an idea—using them as a space to document research, process, and the evolving traces of creative thought. Trace Whale reflects this intersection of scientific inquiry and artistic practice. Drawing from my research at the Archive for Archival Symbolism and incorporating remnants from artwork processes used during the Urban Coast Institute residency, I approached this piece as my own interpretive ‘whiteboard’—a space where research, material traces, and artistic process converge."
"The layered materials—dyed paper, handwritten archival notes, and intuitive drawings—explore what is left behind, both physically and metaphorically. I’m interested in how places and experiences mark us, much like the ocean etches its memory onto the bodies of whales. The title, Trace Whale, reflects multiple meanings of 'trace': the physical transfer of dye onto paper from the making of another artwork, often discarded layout sketches; the handwritten fragments of research and drawings embedded in the piece; and the imprints from nature that shape our understanding of the world. By blending archival research with artifacts of the art-making process, I invite viewers to consider how impressions are made on us, how we leave impressions—through thought, documentation, embedded memory—and how we move forward with what remains."