"Untitled (tie installation)" 1998
Embroidered ties, metal
35 pieces, approx. 16" x 5" x 8" each, 9' x 14' overall

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

This piece consists of 35 ties with names embroidered onto them in fluorescent colors: orange, yellow and green. They hang from metal neck forms attached to the wall. Not only are the flashy colors considered unacceptable in a business workplace, but they are also visually jarring against the ties, which are of a psychedelic variety. Each name is ambiguous (e.g., Pat, Sandy, Robin, etc.). One cannot tell whether its wearer is male or female. The repetitive tie shapes, coupled with the ambiguous names, suggest a conformity so profound that men and women are indistinguishable, yet the ties themselves are screaming with visibility and difference.