Repeat - 2003 (detail of elements)

Aluminum, velvet, plinth, museum case
Overall dimensions: 183cm x 96cm x 51cm (72" x 38" x 20")
Plinth: 91cm x 91cm x 46cm (36" x 36" x 18")
Elements: each 2.5cm x 2cm x .3cm (1" x ¾" x 1/8") to 16.5cm x 14cm x .3cm (6½" x 5½" x 1/8")
Photo: Cheryl O'Brien
Exhibition history: Royal Ontario Museum, Toronto, ON, 2003, Harbourfront Centre, Toronto, ON, 2007

In Repeat grouped aluminum objects are presented in a museum vitrine. The motifs are elements from a textile pattern - all the components needed to create five identical "repeats" - to be fit together and printed or woven across a surface. Out of the context of the entire design, grouped according to size and shape, and translated into metal, the pieces suggest cogs, medals, or weapons arranged for display by type. The work examines museological systems of ordering and classification as well as the concept of the unique object and its associated aura.