Against The Grain


2014
Goffe Street Armory
New Haven, CT

With Andy Sternad

Commissioned by Artspace New Haven in the cavernous drill hall of a decommissioned armory, this piece attempted to introduce a human dimension to the vast interior space without detracting from its sublime mystery.

Deteriorating floor boards within the space were removed, cleaned, and suspended from a steel truss to form two chevron-shaped curtains, referencing the building’s past as a military post. The narrow space between was just wide enough for visitors to walk, allowing one to dwell within a structural dimension of the building.

Each floorboard was connected by white mason’s line – over three miles in total - to its original position on the floor, where white replacement boards were toothed in.