antipyretic abductions
antipyretic abductions
Antipyretic Abductions
drawings, installation, sculpture, transparency drawings & digital collage 2013-current
OTC NSAIDS, pen and ink on papers, yupo, polyester drafting film and acetate, Xerox transparencies, digital collage, multi-tiered light box, video, test tubes,vinyl tubing, glass laboratory flasks, testubes, cotton, styrofoam, overhead transparency projector
These images refer to a set of ideas relating to the body, over-the-counter medicine, and make believe internal landscapes called organscapes.
“…abduction is the process of forming explanatory hypotheses. It is the only logical operation which introduces any new idea” - Charles Peirce
Antipyretic Abductions is an ongoing project that began in 2013 as part of a larger installation for an exhibition loosely based on the theme of experimentation. Ibuprofen and other NSAIDS have been a staple component in my life and tend to be found in most domestic homes. The drawings came about after noticing the color stain ibuprofen tables left on my fingers or any surface when encountering moisture. I wondered what they might do when they entered the body – how quickly they dissolve and enter the bloodstream. Simple experiments included adding water and hydrogen peroxide to glass test tubes, through vinyl tubing, and onto surfaces holding various forms of over-the-counter pain relievers. Observations were made in the form of photographs, videos, drawings, and notations, reminiscent of the scientific process but lacking in empirical method; the drawings reflect how observations lead to questions and back.
In the late 19th century, Charles Peirce wrote extensively about various stages regarding the logic of the scientific method. One stage, known as abduction, in part describes the stage of an experiment when a hypothesis or theory is being conceptualized. These drawings come out of a process connected to play, formal exploration, and an interest in the politics of daily pain, bringing in the possibility for further inquiry.
Antipyretic Abductions began out of indulgent curiosity, and the desire to immerse in materials, observation, and pretend. I became a laboratory and concoctor. While the for-profit political implications of the over-the-counter medication enters the conceptual terrain in this work, this was not at the forefront of my initial interest. More so, the ubiquitous nature of this medication, a cheap form of drawing media even, allowed me to notice its mark-making capabilities. I began a series of experiments, a way to enter the studio and observe while moving through various ways of controlling and relinquishing control over materials - a collaboration between materials and signification, control and arbitrary play.
The drawings have provided the basis for installations, which have incorporated videos, objects, sound, overhead projections, lightboxes, and sculpture.
