About the artwork
Anna Gray and Ryan Wilson Paulsen
How Can We Assemble Ourselves?, 2018
Dimensions(h x w x d): 4" x 1/4" thick (letters), 3" x 1/4" thick (the rest)
Laser-cut aluminum and polyurethane enamel paint
Located in Karl Miller Center, on various walls across multiple floors
How Can We Assemble Ourselves? consists of ten lines of poetry, placed throughout the building in specific locations that relate to the text either spatially or functionally, focusing on areas designed for gathering and group study. The text addresses issues of inclusion, collective history, and the relationship between self and the world. According to the artists' statement, "the lines of the poem accrue, responding to each other and to their specific locations in the building. Each one is a fragment that can be read in isolation but also needs others to be complete. For visitors, the piece may be read in part or as a whole, in linear order or according to their own sequences, unfolding and accumulating as they move through the building." Full text of the installation:
"How can we assemble ourselves...
to write a song that erases the embarrassment of dancing
to rewrite the structures of value
to install hinges that open in any direction
to fit our abilities into the gaps of others’ needs
to see our shadows as part of our shape
to share a solidity in the ocean of the abstract
to make everyday a reparation
to identify the latent violence in our togetherness
to write a new horizon"
About the artists
Anna Gray and Ryan Wilson Paulsen are a collaborative duo specializing in site-specific, conceptual and life-artwork. See more of their work on their website. Anna Gray is also an art instructor at PSU.
This work was acquired through Oregon's Percent for Art in Public Places Program, managed by the Oregon Arts Commission.
Banner image: Photo by Mario Gallucci.