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Key Chain, 2011
Graphite on drywall
Dimensions variable
Commissioned by the Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art, AZ for the exhibition, Jean Shin & Brian Ripel, Unlocking
Key Chain reveals an expansive social network of personal and professional relationships through the keys individuals use and share with one another. Participants were asked to first trace the notched edges of their own keys, then invite others who shared duplicate keys to homes, work spaces and cars. The resulting large scale wall drawing compiled this multitude of key tracings into a continuous line of subtle ridges and valleys. Beginning with Shin and Ripel's own keys, the project linked 60 individuals from across the United States by their shared keys, creating a portrait of each key holder's identity based on the intimate connections to the people and places most valued in their own lives.