Gerrymandering the Marsh

allegorical sculpture by Eve Jacobs-Carnahan with owl and pigeons referencing election campaign donations

Installation size varies depending on arrangement, roughly 43 inches high, floor space roughly 9 x 12 feet

Available for exhibition. Contact eve@evejacobs-carnahan.com for details.

Materials: Wool and linen yarns, felted wool, leather, linen, cotton fabric, wire mesh, day lily leaves, grapevines, rubber inner tubes, plastic bags, mulberry paper, rocks, wood, rigid foam, stone clay, acrylic paint, wire, hardware, custom printed cardboard cubes

Gerrymandering the Marsh illustrates the legislative practice of distorting electoral boundaries to retain power out of proportion to voters’ preferences. Gerrymandering dates back to the earliest days of the Republic, but sophisticated computer software has enabled those who manipulate electoral district boundaries today to act with greater precision than ever.

In this installation, the marsh is inhabited by knitted green herons and cool, smooth salamanders. Alert birds crouch quietly, ready to snatch their prey. The herons’ richly textured folded wings stand out against their soft felted breasts and fabric underbellies. The repetition of diamonds and scallops on their backs evoke feathers. Multi-hued yarns capture the way bird feathers change color with the light.

The birds and salamanders represent citizens in legislative districts. There are three voters in each district, on each set of pedestals. Who will capture more districts, the 6 herons or 9 salamanders? The district boundaries control the result. The groupings echo actual maps of Congressional districts that pack one type of voter into a district or crack large voting blocs into slivers.

Read my blog post to learn how this installation evolved out of a single bird:

Blog Post

knitted sculpture of great horned owl by Eve Jacobs-Carnahan