Susurration, a 12-foot by 40-foot piece of hand-dyed silk, was dyed using arashi shibori, an ancient Japanese technique of wrapping and compressing fabric around a pole. This surface design method creates thousands of organic, wave-like striated patterns, here in shades of blue. The word susurration refers to a whispering sound or murmur and evokes the sound of water. Susurration has been installed twice, in 2013 and 2016, in a different orientations which, because of its enormity, evoked different feelings for the observer.
The 2016 installation was for Bellwether: Confluence, a sculpture biennial at Bellevue City Hall in Bellevue, Washington. That site-specific installation responded to the space by hanging the piece vertically in the three-story atrium of the building. The piece became a wall of water, rippling gently in the air currents of the building.

2013’s installation was part of Bellevue Storefronts, a project coordinated by Shunpike, which pairs artists with empty storefronts for temporary art installations. I responded to the large, wide storefront space by using the full width of the piece to create a large wall played upon by hidden fans, which undulated and mimicked the movement of the sea bed.

Susurration, 2013, Bellevue Storefronts