As noted previously, I discovered the Pocket Object touring exhibition earlier in my research, and at that point decided to find a new term to refer to my own work, in order to avoid any unwelcome confusion between my work and theirs.
However, that is not to say that the Pocket Object project is not relevant to my work; on the contrary, I found among the artists and work included on their website a great deal to inspire and influence the development of my Keywords tool/kit.
From the Pocket Object website:
Pocket Object asks artists across multiple disciplines and mediums to each produce a small edition of keychain-sized objects available for cheap purchase. The tiny totems are meant to jangle on your hip, tumble in a tote, or simply be a small scale reminder of the practice of a favorite artist or friend. This iteration presents 98 artists currently or formerly based in Chicago and beyond. The small, dangling works are each priced at under $100 and explore the endless variability of small scale sculpture. The scaled editions are meant to be hitched to your car keys and co-mingled with your stack of rewards cards. Mobile works coming to an art space near you.
The traveling exhibition is organized by Chicago-based artist Noël Morical, who began macrameing small keychains six years ago as a way to scale down her practice for work trades and friend gifts. Pocket Object is an expansion of this expression, an affordable way to purchase work while supporting your favorite artist’s practice.
Below are some selected images of work from the Pocket Object site which I consider to have been especially inspiring to my project.
