These Requests Are Made to Protect You As Well As Your Family

2009
Face masks, steel rod

These Requests Are Made to Protect You As Well As Your Family was based on my experiences during a trip to Japan and the exploration of being in a state of fear. I visited Japan during the outbreak of the H1N1 virus. During this time, many precautions were taken when people entered the country including a quarantine for airplanes that involved staying on board until heath officials dressed in medical gowns and white boots went through to check the temperatures of everyone. This work expresses a subtle impression that I was seeking by using surgical masks, similar to those given on the airplane in Japan and were required to wear when we left the plane and went into the airport. They are also commonly used by people in Japan during their everyday routine when they go out into public spaces. By sewing these masks together in a circular form that one enters, I reflected on the idea of what theses masks are used for and the state that a person is in when using these masks in their everyday life.