Dana Hemenways window installation creates the tranquil environment of a living room, however a monstrous-looking mold is gradually, and perhaps aggressively attacking a comfy chair. Pretty embroideries hanging are not of nice flowers or song birds, but of microscopic images of molds, including several toxic species.
“How well do we know our homes? I view the home as one small circle that is part of a number of concentric circles that we have created to protect ourselves layers of safety that start with a house alarm and end at homeland security laws. Inside these concentric circles sit different manifestations of the domestic/the home/the homeland. The way mold infests houses is a metaphor for how little control we actually have over these protective structures and territories. Some mold only irritates those who are allergic to it, while other types of mold are toxic and can cause cancer.”
Dana Hemenway is a San Francisco based artist. She received her B.F.A from the University of California, Santa Cruz, with honors, in 2003. Since then she has been working on her practice (sculpture) with exhibitions at Femina Potens Gallery, Edo Gallery and Works Gallery in San Jose. Dana currently works at the San Francisco Arts Commission Gallery.
