Untitled (tie circle installation), 1997
Wood, metal, suit and tie fabric
20 pieces (various sizes), 9' x 15' overall (dimension variable)

Untitled (tie circle installation) is part of a series of works made with men's business clothing that was exhibited in 1998 at Haines Gallery, San Francisco. What seems at first exercises in the aesthetics of the men's clothing textiles, are projects that explore the concepts of male identity, conformity and individuality.

In this piece I have covered wood with patches of tie and suit fabrics. The ties have been rolled, stretched, quilted or woven and then they are framed in metal circles. Arranged playfully across an expanse of the gallery's wall, each is unique in terms of method of construction and size. The resulting works are reminiscent of circular quilts or large embroidery hoops. I have taken a material traditionally associated with the male dominated corporate world and transformed it into forms stereotypically associated with a female dominated world of sewing. In so doing, I have tried to engender the male material female.