Impostazione del Posto (place setting) is a drapery-like assembly of folded straw paper – a common recycled paper used for place settings in Italian dining. The pattern formed from the dimensional folds is named ‘herringbone’ and is a common motif found in Rome’s brick foundation. Impostazione del Posto was carried through the streets of Rome, most notably through the temples and government buildings in and surrounding the Imperial Forum. This was a laborious task as the 15-meter-long form was whipped by the wind and was heavy to lift through the landscape. All works created in Rome by Irvin are a reflection upon barriers that appear in the city in a variety of materials: clay, metal, fabric, stone, and language. 

 

BIO
Emily Irvin is an artist, researcher, performer, writer, and activist from Appalachia, Ohio, USA. These are some of the roles they inhabit to explore ceramic questions, observing their body in relation to the world in which it can touch through performative material explorations. They received their BS in health sciences in 2015 and then their BFA in ceramics in 2016 from the Ohio State University. Irvin received an MFA in ceramics at the University of Colorado Boulder in 2021. Their interest in constructed notions of able bodies has been explored in their recent projects.