Katie Stubblefield / Installations Thousands Are Sailing & It Ain't Me
- LA Art Documents
- Jun 16
- 2 min read
Katie Stubblefield
Thousands Are Sailing, 2025 It Ain't Me, 2025
These works were installed June 7 - 22, 2025 at Pier Plaza, Redondo Beach, CA, as part of Reimagined Poetry Invitational.
Drawing inspiration from The Pogues' lyrics, "On a coffin ship I came here," from the classic song Thousands Are Sailing, this project explores themes of forced migration and cultural resilience. The song evokes the experiences of Irish emigrants seeking refuge and a fresh start, yet holding onto their cultural identity. This narrative of fleeing one's homeland for safety and clinging to one's roots is a recurring motif throughout history and continues to impact lives today. Stubblefield visually articulates this by using real sailcloth, directly referencing the act of "sailing." Upon this surface, rendered in acrylic, are images of rigging from Irish coffin ships, juxtaposed with the contemporary lines of telephone, internet, and cable that crisscross the sky above the artist's dwelling. The artwork is completed by depictions of sea and sky, all suspended on the wall.
Acrylic and Sharpie on sail cloth, cotton rope 288 x 60 inches
The Lottery Scratcher, a tangible embodiment of hope and chance, serves as the central motif in this exploration of fortune's arbitrary hand. Echoing the sentiment of Creedence Clearwater Revival's "Fortunate Son"—an anthem of disenfranchisement in a draft-laden time—this work contemplates the inherent inequalities dictated by the "luck of the draw": race, class, sex, and social station. Gambling tools become a frantic language, representing our persistent yearning for an improved reality. Within this installation of discarded, losing scratchers, genuine winning tickets are strategically placed, acting as irresistible enticements. This deliberate inclusion invites viewers to participate in a search that mirrors our collective aspiration for upward mobility and a more favorable turn of fate.
Scratchers, string, tape, toothpicks, paper, 96 x 72 x 96 inches
