Left Mitten and The Great Denudation 2004
Sculpture & performance
Fabricated of silicon-coated ripstop nylon, Left Mitten is decked out like a Country and Western performer, replete with fringe, appliqué, and embroidery. Country and Western costuming as a craft was perfected by Nudie’s Rodeo Tailor, among others, to outfit Hollywood’s singing cowboys and Grand Ole Opry style performers. The style came to represent the Wild West and the rural, not by mimicking the existing styles of those regions, but by creating a stage-ready amalgamation of immigrant and Native American traditions.
An inflatable version of an iconic rock formation, the sculpture Left Mitten can be transported and inflated anywhere with a 110 volt hookup. A performance, The Great Denudation, takes the form of a guided hike around the instant and often animated landscape. The performer points out natural and cultural resources and answers spontaneous questions from the participant visitors.
