sticks, sand, and shadows
[2024] denim, cotton, polyester
The quilt's design draws inspiration from the intricate patterns created by snow fences along Lake Michigan's beaches, capturing the mesmerizing play of shadows during sunset. Crafted from repurposed, flame-resistant work-wear, this quilt serves as a poignant reminder of the environmental impact of industrial activity along our coastlines, shedding light on the ongoing pollution of our waters and land. Let us unite in the collective effort to safeguard the purity of Michigan's lakes and beaches for generations to come.
quilted dice bag with ceramic dice
[2024] ceramic, cotton
The Laborers’ Quilt
[2023] Denim, Cotton, Nylon
Like Diego Rivera’s fresco in the Detroit Institute of Art, this work holds a critical lens to industrialization but celebrates the labor of humans and communities within industry in the United States.
This quilt uses worn, flame-resistant workwear for the quilt top. The workwear was previously worn by Cliff Bunch while he worked at Bethlehem Steel Corporation* for 48 years as a millwright. Foust repurposed the workwear for the quilt top by cutting up the fabric and arranging it into a composition that emulates Bauhaus design; particularly the artist Anni Albers. The back of the quilt is constructed of industrially produced and dyed purple and red fabric, arranged in stripes to closely mimic the quilt top.
*History of Bethlehem Steel
Located in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, Bethlehem Steel Corporation was one of the first and largest steel manufacturers in the world established in 1857. Bethlehem Steel milled and distributed steel to some of the most popular structures in the United States and also manufactured US warships and other military weapons for World War I and World War II. In 2001, the corporation filed for bankruptcy due to the decline of the American steel industry.
2 Friendships
[2023] cardboard, paper, plastic, polypropylene, rubber (multimedia) 13.5" x 9.25" x 2.25"
The necklace is a tangible reflection of memories made on the shores of Lake Michigan, meticulously crafted from an assortment of plastics and trash collected during beach clean-ups. It serves as a meaningful memento of cherished moments spent with friends by the water's edge, symbolizing a deep connection to both the beach and the lake, both of which hold a special place in the artist's heart.
Spring 2023 Quilt
[2023] denim, cotton
Summer 2022 Quilt
[2022} wool, denim, cotton, 44.5” x 58”
Merging of Site (Grand Rapids - Detroit)
Video, 2022, 0:34
Lake Take Bake
[2021] Video, 2:36
Shaping baguette with clay. Slowed movements. Replacement of material.
TAKE CARE
[2021] Video, 0:30
Friendship Bracelet
[2020] Nylon and Pony Beads
1980’s love songs are enthralled with obsessive admiration, desire, and longing for their lover, but what if we reimagined these obsessions from person-to-person to person-to-place or even place-to-place. I can imagine the dunes and Lake Michigan exchanging Dolly Parton’s “I will always love you” back and fourth as a way of tending to one another.
To help visualize this relationship, I made a 30 foot friendship bracelet out of pony beads and fishing line with all of Dolly’s famous lyrics. A friendship bracelet shows your care for someone (something) significant in your life and lives on that being until is falls off from long wear or is forcefully cut off. This is appropriate symbolism for the dune degradation along Lake Michigan’s shoreline and the fluctuating water levels; some changes being natural shifts in ecosystems and some changes being climate change and building developments.
