Project Update

It’s been roughly five months since resilienceRSVP was born into existence. And now, in just a couple weeks time, the first iteration of the work will be installed in Montpelier, Vermont. It has been an honor receiving and reading the submitted stories. 

The process has been intense. After designing and sending out the invitations (gathered from online submission forms, in person, via Instagram, or through word of mouth), once one makes its way back to me, I open it, read it, scan it, crop it in Photoshop, and then post it to this website. I then stitch, or suture, the panels and mailing envelopes together in panels. 

Learning how to suture, as an artform, has been challenging and satisfying. The symbolic-ness, not only in how sutures are designed to hold together broken pieces to promote healing, has been part of the decision making in which sutures I should use on which papers. If the writing is condensed and tight, I have no choice but to use a horizontal mattress stitch, because it takes up less space and allows the writing to be visible. If there is a strong connection between the writers (such as mother and daughter or husband and wife), I try to use a suture called interrupted cruciate because it is one of the stronger stitches, used for wounds that hold a lot of tension. I also like the visual qualities of the interrupted cruciate, as the front is an “x” and the back in an “o.” 

I have 12 panels completed and enough stories on hand to make 3 more panels before the exhibition. There will be some other surprise elements embedded in the show, but for now enjoy these process photographs.