Drag

Copied Susie Ganch, Drag, 2013-2014, collected detritus and steel, 32 × 32 × 132 in. (81.3 × 81.3 × 335.3 cm), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of the James Renwick Alliance in honor of Robyn Kennedy, 2021.81, © 2014, Susie Ganch

Artwork Details

Title
Drag
Artist
Date
2013-2014
Dimensions
32 × 32 × 132 in. (81.3 × 81.3 × 335.3 cm)
Copyright
© 2014, Susie Ganch
Credit Line
Gift of the James Renwick Alliance in honor of Robyn Kennedy
Mediums Description
collected detritus and steel
Object Number
2021.81

Artwork Description

Susie Ganch applied her virtuoso skills in metal and jewelry to make this monumental bracelet from discarded plastics. It includes many single-use plastics, like coffee lids, to show that long after we throw it away, plastic lives on indefinitely, becoming a drag on our ecosystems.


“Our collective detritus connects me physically to the world outside my studio while also serving as a commentary on our collective habits of consumption. From a distance they are beautiful. Up close they are dirty and covered with the evidence of their now forgotten use. With these materials, I construct pieces that are comprised of multiple interdependent parts. Often held together by tension, they have structural integrity but also flexibility and fragility. This dynamic balance mimics the cooperative nature of the universe. The idea is to offer the viewer a tactile experience.” —Susie Ganch


This Present Moment: Crafting a Better World, 2022

Verbal Description

A large chain made up of ten steel rings covered in discarded plastics. Each ring is slightly larger than the last and looped through one another to create the chain. The largest ring is about two and a half feet wide. The smallest ring is about the size of a bracelet and attaches to the wall, allowing the other rings to slope downward, with the largest one resting on the floor. This gives the impression that the chain is being dragged along the ground.

The pieces of trash attached to each ring are bright and colorful from a distance. Up close, most pieces are dirty and crumpled. The largest ring is made up of white-colored objects, like Starbucks cups, lids, and bottle caps. The objects within the rings gradually change in color, forming a seamless gradient of light pink to bright pink to bright red at the smallest end. While the trash is arranged to keep the circular shape of the rings intact, ribbons, feathers, and objects of other textures poke out from the sides of the rings.

Exhibitions

Quilt featuring the portrait of a woman
This Present Moment: Crafting a Better World
May 13, 2022April 2, 2023
This Present Moment: Crafting a Better World showcases the dynamic landscape of American craft today.