“The piece is comprised of about 90 acrylic fish, cut out and hung from hooks on six horizontal bars. I was inspired by racks of whitefish, whose scales turn golden in the smoking process. Much of my work is inspired by things that are in multiples. Lately, though, I have been thinking about individuality and what it means to be in a group. Every fish looks both like every other fish but also individual from the fish around them.
I teach printmaking at LSU, and … I am very interested in incorporating new technology into my process. The laser cutter is a machine I have begun to use more and more in my classes and in my work. These fish were inspired by previous experiments with the laser cutter and also the dazzling acrylic sheets on the market. I was dying to use the glitter sheets!
During the opening at Baton Rouge Gallery [in May, at which this piece was prominently displayed], everyone wanted me to sell the fish individually. That was not the right move for this project, but it did give me ideas for how I could make smaller pieces that could be sold individually.”
