'What Should We Do?' is an installation comprised of 32 hollow, life-sized, cast-paper humans, huddled over live sod. On the grass, there are twelve birds which bounce and flail until they stop moving. I made and battery-powered the birds so that they would slow down and appear to die as the batteries died.  Gallery attendants replaced the batteries daily.

Exhibition visitors become part of the helpless crowd of sculptures as they hovered over the dying birds, watching along with the hollow paper figures.

 

This piece asked us to witness death and consider personal responsibility and response. It aimed to create conversation and consideration on what can happen when we mesh into group-think, on the perceived helplessness of watching things fall apart in front of us without knowing how to stop it, and to the sense of hopelessness that can lead to collective inaction. 

 

This piece was funded by a grant from the Michigan Council for the Arts and Cultural Affairs and was exhibited at Tangent Gallery, Detroit, MI.