In this work, I was searching for the perfect dollop — and for the ever-elusive “new, new, new.” Along the way, I developed new works and a technique of my own. These dollops also evoke turbulence and vacuum — recurring themes in my practice.

The fear of flying, and my habit of neurotically chewing on plastic straws and other objects during flights, led me to make this work. I kept thinking about the tiny “breather holes” in airplane windows—those barely visible openings meant to regulate pressure. In my mind, I began plugging them with chewed straws. Back in my studio, I recreated that anxious, repetitive gesture: chewing on plastic straws while drilling holes into found kitchen cabinet shelves, then inserting the straws into the holes.

The sport of making a 50 cent work