Bill of Rights Series
My fascination with the Bill of Rights has led me to investigate several of the Amendments and how this historical document is subject to change through the retelling, reinterpreting and collective consciousness. This is an ongoing investigation of each Amendment and its relationship to the current political climate. I have come to realize the beauty and failure of this document and how the often ambiguous and outdated language can be used against those that it was meant to protect.
Amendment One
This is a deconstruction of the First Amendment to visually explore the potential breakdown in meaning when language is reduced to its most basic elements. The process of discovery incorporated in the piece is intended to help the viewer reconstruct the meaning for themselves word by word.
Amendment #1
Letterpress on paper
H. 17 x W. 12 inches
2017
Frottage Rubbing
Created through a frottage rubbing of the first panel, this image captures how these rights have been reinterpreted over generations. The transfer process physically demonstrates how meaning becomes distorted - less legible, more ambiguous - as interpretations accumulate across time and changing cultural contexts.
Free Motion Embroidery on Cotton
H. 8 x W. 53 " (framed)
2017
Blind Embossing
This is a blind embossing of words that physically present but barely perceptible. This tactile metaphor speaks to the profound gap between constitutional promises and lived reality. The impression remains, but visibility and access are compromised, reflecting how these protections have systematically failed many Americans, particularly in marginalized communities.
Amendment Nine
The interpretation of this Amendment states that the rights of the people are not limited to just the rights listed in the Constitution. Ninth Amendment words are laser cut and sew onto a blanket meant to be worn and provide protection.
Amendment Six:
The Sixth Amendment guarantees fundamental rights to those accused of crimes, ensuring a speedy and public trial by an impartial jury.
This triptych examines how language both defines and obscures our constitutional protections
Laser-cut Typography
Through precisely laser-cut typography, this first panel represents the Amendment's original promise - crisp, defined rights with clear intentions. The sharp edges and exact letterforms evoke the Founders' vision of justice: transparent, accessible, and universal.
Amendment #1
Silk Screen on paper
H. 22 x W. 18 inches
2017
Amendment Two (Talking without Speaking)
For this piece, I shot a video of a person reciting the Second Amendment. The selected images capture the contorted mouth forming a word and are reproduced using the free-motion embroidery technique. Without sound these images are open to interpretation and become abstracted from their original content.
details
Amendment Three
The third Amendment forbids the forcible housing of military personnel in a citizens home during peacetime. This Amendment has only been cited several times since was ratified in 1798. It deals with the relationship between the rights of individuals and the military in both peace and war. The words of this Amendment were created on doormats. A sound recording of knocking accompanies this piece.
This piece is accompanied by an audio component. Click on the link below.