Ana Teresa Fernandez’s sculptural installation looks at how immigrant communities resourcefully utilize ubiquitous plaid nylon shopping bags as multifunctional material – not just for grocery shopping and taking the wash to the laundromat, but also for sectional home decoration and placemats. She creates both a fictional and representational interior of a household, where every surface is covered in this material. Objects blend into the surreal tapestry of this unique, recognizable pattern, obfuscating both their identity and function. Through this installation, Fernandez hints at a metaphor of immigrants within our society inconspicuously carrying the heavy workload of service and cleaning industries.
Kevin B. Chen
Director of Intersection for the Arts