Easy Does It

2022

Floor sculpture, textiles and seaweed glue

Easy does it represents the labour-intensive and physical part of care. The kinetic sculpture, or machine, consists of a metal structure and four arms connected to an axis with a handle. Long strands are knotted to each arm, and when the handle is activated by manpower, the strands start to move in a circular motion, twisting them to form a rope. The strands attached are made out of rejected domestic textiles: pre-teen clothing, linen and towels.

When the machine is activated the strands begin to twist onto each other until the suspension is too much and either the fabric starts to tear or the viewer starts to unwind the rope by twisting it in the opposite direction. When the machine is in motion, the strands float animatedly in the air.

Easy Does It is an ode to tools and machines humans develop, to work smarter and faster. But it is also a representation for the ongoing care tasks humans need to accomplish in the turbulent sea of life, with its ups and downs.