Creating a spice war rug at the Museum of Contemporary Art, November 2007.

I made my 7th spice war rug, Baluchi Drixa, for the Mapping the Self exhibition at Chicago's Museum of Contemporary Art.  It was on display until March, 2008, when I made some prints and swept it up.  Not too worse for wear, there were only a few footprints and little messes in the pattern.  I'll have photos of the prints soon.

Afghan War Rug No 35, Paratroop Version (SOLD)   2004
 

This "rug" was an installation that I made for Art Chicago in 2004, at Navy Pier.  It is made out of paprika, poppy seed, tumeric, ginger, fennel, coffee, flour, red and black pepper,mace, cinnamon, nutmeg and allspice.

 



 
 
 
 
I placed the spices carefully on a mat, without any glue.  It took about 5 days to finish it. Once the pattern is filled, I complete it with cotton fringe, that has popper firecrackers attached.

 

<The artwork looks so real, 
people walk on it!  

If you step on the fringe..."POP"!