Tribbulations

Tribbulations

2023

Tribbulations is part of a Portmanteaus series about plans that go awry, timelines that slip, and projects that run into snags outside of one’s control. The word portmanteau refers to a suitcase-like container or two words that have been joined together to form a combined meaning.

I love puns and wordplay in my work. Tribbulations is lined with faux fur and the title is a nod to a classic Star Trek episode with a furry plot twist. The choice to use a box shape leans in to the idea that every story has an internal or personal version and an external version that you tell to other people. Red is often a color used to communicate a stop and the theme of the pieces in this series is to talk about things that stop momentum from going forward. I used softer or analogous colors to red to sort of play with the idea that these ideas were not quite a hard stop or an end, but more the idea of things that were in the way of progress.

Sculptural paper box with hand embroidered paper. 4x4x4 inches.