Caution

Frances Trombly’s Caution consists of 250 linear feet of hand-dyed, hand-woven fabric on which the artist has embroidered the text “caution”/ “cuidado” to resemble actual caution tape. The artist often uses trompe l’oeil effects in her work to recreate mundane objects, making labor-intensive pieces through weaving, embroidery, cross-stitch and crochet. Her work questions the value of labor, and addresses issues of feminism, class and the American way of life. For her installation at Socrates, Trombly uses the meticulously crafted recreation for the same functional purpose as actual caution tape; as a barrier and a visual warning defining an otherwise undifferentiated space within the Park. The artist expects the piece to evolve over time and anticipates that audience interaction as well as the weather will cause the fabric to deteriorate just as real tape would.