I’ve mostly created 3D work over the years, so I was intimidated at the thought of hanging over 30 prints, not to mention the +20ft banners. Thankfully, the curator, Larry Lee, is exceptionally skilled at installing shows and hanging flat work. My oldest friend, Betsy Zacsek, also has a lot of experience installing shows. Between the two of them and some help from my partner Quincy, the four of us were able to get the show up in just a few days. And then the museum’s in-house curators, Riley and Leo, put up the vinyl and setup the lighting.
When using traditional Chinese wet mounting techniques, you’re left with a +2in border of mounting paper around the print. I cut off all the mounting paper save for along one side of the prints, then folded that extra mounting paper back so it could function as a tab or hinge from which to hang the prints.
My work is about how alive the earth and our food is. I did not want to encase my prints behind glass. Hanging unframed work lets the paper naturally curl a little away from the wall, which helps the prints feel more alive, as if they are so vital that they are breathing or peeling away from the wall.
When it came time to hang the banners, I folded strips of bamboo (usually used in basket weaving) into the short ends of the prints to give them some structure. Then I held them in place with gold binder clips, the handles of which were used as anchor points to drill the prints into the walls and ceiling.
Thank you to Larry, Betsy, Quincy, Leo, and Riley for their help with installing the show!
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