“Six feet” has become a ubiquitous phrase—appearing on the floors of grocery stores, on fences in public parks, and on signs at places of work. Though measurement is thought to be universal and precise, it is more context dependent than generally perceived. The title of this exhibition, Six (Linear) Feet, references the way space is often measured at an archive, where a linear foot measures how much front-facing shelf space boxes or a collection will take up. This is essential information when planning for collections and determining if their size will fit the confines of storage. Six feet can be a lot or a little, too much or not enough. Measurements depend on context.
Since the beginning of the Covid pandemic, scientists and public health officials have called for social distancing. Though recent research suggests that six feet may be an arbitrary distance, it has become the standard for how far apart humans should remain so as not to pass the virus from person to person. For this exhibition, six Los Angeles based artists have created works that respond to and reflect upon the phrase’s usage and its appearance in our everyday landscape. Their works probe how these measurements relate to the body, our daily habits, and our interactions as humans.
Through a wide variety of mediums—stamps, drawings, sculptures, performance, and installations—the works by Amelia Bande, Aimee Goguen, Chosun Family, Enrique Castrejon, Harris Kornstein, and Sandra Rosales think through ideas of touch and proximity, space and distance, and how to build community and resilience from six feet apart. They provide insights, both humorous and melancholic, about how to live with this new daily constraint, and how drawing upon our queer past can help us in the here and now.
This exhibition is curated by Alexis Bard Johnson and Jeanne Vaccaro
The exhibition is open to the public during regular business hours. To make your return as safe as possible, MASKS ARE REQUIRED regardless of vaccination status, in line with university requirements. Faculty, staff, students, and visitors also must complete wellness assessments through https://trojancheck.usc.edu/login. For more information, visit https://libraries.usc.edu/fall2021
