Elizabeth DeCoste

01 Earthsong

Central piece to 'Specufabula' thesis project.

“Through the methodology and display of collection, I approach taxonomy as a speculative and poetic tool. I explore the physical and conceptual histories of found objects while re-contextualizing my collection in imagined realities. Using the aesthetics of classification, scientific illustration, and museum display, I highlight the imperfections and connotations inherent in these classification systems using poetics to label and arrange objects as an alternative form of storytelling. I layer categorical systems to highlight their arbitrary nature through juxtaposition: the categories of letterpress type, taxonomic categories, and my own organizational strategy. Archival practices of cataloguing and compartmentalization through drawers creates a pseudo-museological space in the installation. Viewers are invited to investigate objects using the magnifying glass.”