"Life Boats" are made from hollow - cast paper mâché.  The paper mâché was made entirely from clipped headlines and articles reporting on local, national, and international stories of disaster  and tragedy. There are two boats, each to hold one adult and one small child in the event of an emergency. The boats are surrounded with red ribbon waters which have miles of survival "mantras" sewn onto them. The words are taken directly from the language of the US Government's Advice for Emergency Preparedness and from children's lullaby songs, and are intended to double as what I call "domestic survival mantras."

Mantras read: 

Figure out where you are. Secure your own mask first. Locate the nearest exit. Remain inside. Go underground. Be prepared to survive. You may sense total isolation. Stay calm. Keep your children in good spirits. Pay attention to small details. Familiarize yourself with what may harm you. Seek Shelter. Do not panic. Preparation may save you. Speak calmly, move certainly, and with purpose. Stay your course. Row row row your boat. 

This work is part of my "Homeland Security" Series, a series commenting on mortality, the human desire to control the uncontrollable, acts of futility, and raising a family in a culture of commodified fear.