Progress on Thesis project Lysa Benton April, 2012 Please click to progress through slides.

I built a ‘set’ room. It is approximately 4x9. It is set up to be portable.

I’ve been looking at a lot of vines both online and in my neighborhood.

I’m treating one side as a closet. This is inspired by a fuzzy memory I have of been locked in a closet when I was very young. It has a hanging light that has been overtaken by this invasive vine like form. This form represents my interpretation of how mental illness can overtake and smother a relationship.

This close-up of the light shows how it has been completely overtaken by the ‘vine’.

This view of the light was taken from below.

Close-up detail of weaving on light.

This is the light structure with the light turned off. The bulb is unseen as it is below the bottom of the photo.

This a view of the structure covering the light. It is hard to tell that it is even a light unless it is turned on. The closet is on the left side.

I have continued to add electrical elements which, to me, symbolize the delivery systems within the human body. These systems are responsible for making connections which in some cases control our mental health. For someone with mental illness these connections can be flawed.

It is my interpretation that vines, like mental illness search for places to attach. When mentally ill people are healthy these vines are in control, almost as if they were a weed that has been cut back. When these same people have a trauma, trigger, or stressor, the illness (vine) quickly finds an opportunity to attach/re-attach and grow.

The vine has begun to travel across the ceiling.

This is the corner inside the closet which houses the source of the structure. It will eventually be much more dense. This source moves in two directions. First up the wall to encompass the light. Secondly, to push open, penetrate, and works its way under the door. I plan on making the door area more dense.

This is a close-up of the source that is in the corner of the closet.

Here is a close-up of how the vine structure moves from the wall and onto the light.

This is the same area as the previous slide. It shows how the vine is working its way over the top of the wall.

A close-up of the growth pushing its way through the door.

Same growth from the closet side. I’ve been moving this part of the piece around to find the perfect placement. (still moving!) This is an area I plan on expanding.

A view of the vine beginning to work its way over the wall. This will hang as if it were over a trellis.

Here is the vine penetrating the door.

Vine penetrating door from inside of the closet.

Vine has penetrated the door. View from outside of the closet.

The structure moves through the door where is quickly attaches to the other side.

Close-up of previous photo.

A view of the room from outside of the closet. The vine has begun to move past the door and finding the chair has begun to over take that object.

This is the view from outside of the work.

Same view as previous slide with light on.

This view shows how the vine is growing on the chair. The reed width on the chair is currently small. I plan on adding larger reeds as well.

Chair being overtaken. Stool steps have been pulled in by the vine.

View of stool from above.

Close-up of stool being penetrated by vine.

Another view of the chair.

Thanks for looking.