An Ocean for Patti That Won’t Ruin Her Hair

An Ocean for Patti That Won’t Ruin Her Hair was a fabric installation stretching 137 feet by 12 feet which was installed in the Great Hall of the College of Fine Arts on April 29, 2019. Created by School of Art undergraduate Rebecca Polanzke, the installation was inspired by a meeting between the artist and the Associate Dean of the College of Fine Arts, Patti Pavlus. The piece was suspended between the building’s North and South Mezzanines, and sagged to 6’8 inches at its lowest point. The installation incorporated netting and a mix of blue fabrics all hand sewn by the artist. Viewers were encouraged to walk under the piece and up to the mezzanines in order to view the piece from two perspectives. The piece required three months of preparation and was on display for one day only. An Ocean for Patti That Won’t Ruin Her Hair was supported by Microgrant #2019-046 from the Frank-Ratchye Fund for Art @ the Frontier.