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No Picnic

Fabric, metal armature, polyfill; w18’ x h16’ x d6’, 2023. Conceptually, this installation is driven by the idea that living with a disability under the rigidity of ableism and capitalism is no picnic, and it enacts a practice of world softening. I combined my creative research and background in Speech-Language Pathology to explore idiomatic expressions, using humor to grapple with life’s difficulties while offering simultaneous relief. The word picnic originates from the French pique-nique, dating back to the 17th century, with the direct translation meaning "bite little nothings." In the 1800s, the idiom "no picnic" became a turn of phrase in English used to describe something difficult or unenjoyable. Building on this idea, I created a life-size soft sculpture picnic scene with various food items representing other idiomatic expressions, such as "takes the cake," "bigger fish to fry," "when life gives you lemons, make lemonade," "the whole enchilada," and more. The soft sculptures included a 30” metallic rainbow fish next to a small black felt frying pan, a puffy pink cake made of ribbons and pom-poms, a vinyl pitcher of lemonade complete with vinyl ice cubes and cotton lemon slices, alongside felt and lace enchiladas. This sparkling plush installation invited viewers to imagine a softer world, to engage in world softening, while also considering who has the privilege to luxuriate in public spaces and what life circumstances might prompt someone to express these phrases.

For this exhibition, I also provided a key of Ingredients or drawings with the idiomatic phrases that I reference in this zany picnic. For example, one of the small soft sculptural objects is a jar of pickles representing the phrase "In a pickle." Other soft sculptural idiomatic representations found in No Picnic include a can of worms, cracked eggs, a large fish, lemonade, and an enchilada, amongst other soft sculpture items, each reflective of a discrete idiom.

Photos Courtesy of the University of Southern Maine Art Gallery. Photo: Jack Stolz.