S(wept)
N. Yannuzzi Macias
Dried leaf fragments, pink, yellow
White Play-Doh crumbles white
Paper fragment, candy wrapper
Fuchsia paper scrap
Dust and debris
Colored pencil shavings
Lavender, orange, green
Yellow, blue, black
One dime, dog collar
Dirt and debris
Dried leaf, popcorn
Dog and cat hair
Small pieces of reed
Dust, dried leaf, straw
Piece of yellow yarn
Reed fragments, dog hair
Sticker, gravel, straw
Pieces, dust and debris
Christmas ribbon, dried leaves
Matchstick, kids’ sticker page
Old valentine, dog hair, debris
Corn chip. Dried leaves, white
Tissue paper, dust, debris
Pinkish cloth fragment
Leaf debris, dirt, straw
Turquoise paper with writing
People hair, dog and cat hair
Candy wrapper, shiny gold thing
Blue shiny cellophane moon
Red strip of pop cap
Paper pieces, animal hair,
Dirt, dried leaf pieces, polyester
Fiber, rust-colored thread
White petals from artificial
Flower
Empty watermelon lip-gloss
Container, orange magnetic
Number seven, dirt, animal hair
Nylon rope section. Dryer sheet
Dirt, straw, animal hair, debris
Torn white paper, Trident gum
Wrapper, gray foam fragment
Red paper, red and purple drawing
Note written by A
This is its fire
A dime, dried straw,
Pink-red Play-Doh,
Gravel, dirt, and debris
Reed fragments, dog, cat
People hair
A piece of a paper town
Fragment of handwritten
Phone message
Sal Masi and Ann’s son died.
Viewing Wednesday, the seventh
Dirt, gravel, more straw
Dog and cat hair, bright red
Orange and purple wrapping
Paper fragment, small white
Toy plastic fork, dried leaves
Dog, cat, and people hair
dirt, debris, dust, white plastic
And aluminum seal
Blue plastic bag fragment
Yellow paper clip
Plastic knife, dog and cat hair
Red plastic thing, green plastic thing
Styrofoam fragment, green toothpick
Piece of band-aid, piece of sugar
Decoration from birthday cake.
“S(wept)” emerged as part of a series of “actions” that sought to connect my every day to my art making process. The parameters of the action were as follows: After sweeping our floors I'd put the contents of the dustpan into a Ziplock bag, seal it, and toss it into a shoebox knowing that someday I’d know what to do with it. Sometimes, after examining the day’s residue, I’d make a notation on a scrap of paper and put it into the bag. I was interested in residue as evidence and witness. The project emerged during a particularly stressful time in my life.
“S(wept)” became part of an installation called Houseworks: A Chronicle of the Small exhibited at the Allen Art Museum, Oberlin, Ohio
Nanette Yannuzzi-Macias received an MFA from The University of California, San Diego, during which time she was also a fellow at the Whitney Museum ISP. She received her BFA from The Cooper Union School of Art and Science. Her work has been exhibited nationally and internationally. Yannuzzi-Macias is a multi-disciplinary artist whose approach to artmaking has always embraced multiple genres primarily, installation, drawing, painting, writing and video performance. She is the co-founder of HA! Home Affairs Collective (2011-2024). HA! Employed a multidisciplinary approach to art making that addressed issues of identity, community, and territory. The collective was especially invested in art practices that engaged resistance and healing in response to ongoing global challenges, with particular concern for the welfare of women and children. Yannuzzi-Macias has collaborated with many artists over the course of her career and has found the collaborative process rich with possibility.