I found all of the books referenced in this sculpture in San Francisco, either on the street or in used book stores. The titles include Man’s Search for Himself, Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, The Whole Earth Catalog, and Steve Jobs (a biography). I think of these books as artifacts of a shift in the city from potential radicalism to technocratic corporatism. Their labored construction with materials like cardboard, modeling paste, and crayons was a way for me to approach the books' subject matter, hovering around DIY culture, self-help, and individuality.

The title, “Garden” is an allusion to Japanese rock gardens, in which a viewer sits in one spot and looks at rocks that have been deliberately placed to aid in meditation.

Garden, 2019, Cardboard, modeling paste, spray paint, crayon, and found polyester rug, 7′ x 5′ x 18″