Where Heroes Lay (2014)
Where Heroes Lay
Where Heroes Lay examines the bed as a symbol of misfortune, marginalization, and neglect. Through this series, I use the image of the bed to evoke sympathy and to confront broader ethical questions surrounding society’s treatment of disadvantaged people.
The work originates from a material exchange with a homeless individual in downtown Washington, D.C. Over time, I removed soiled cardboard from his sleeping space and replaced it with clean pieces—an act akin to serving as his maid. The discarded material, bonded with flour and water, was then transformed into fragile yet precious artifacts. Though sculptural in form, these works remain functional, echoing their origins as beds.
The series operates through trickery. I embody the role of the trickster, subtly elevating the homeless man to the role of The Hero. By tending to his needs, I induct him into the work as its central figure. Simultaneously, I reposition his discarded bedding material into the realm of the art market, reframing it as a consumable good. Within this context, the objects become weapons of critique—satirizing and challenging mainstream society’s indifference toward those it neglects.