Anne Covell, “Palpable Mass”

Artist Statement

In the first days of the new administration a torrent of executive orders, press briefings, and daily announcements dominated the news cycle. This strategy, known as ‘flooding the zone,’ stoked chaos in order to divert attention from critical issues and push through controversial initiatives unnoticed. Daily disinformation, unhinged posting sprees, outrageous and unjust policies — It felt impossible not to be distracted and exhausted by it all. But it is precisely in these moments that persistence matters most. When feeling overwhelmed is the point, and disengagement is the goal, focus becomes an act of resistance.

Palpable Mass is an aggregate of breaking news alerts, headlines, and top stories collected during the first 100 days of the 47th presidency, January 20 – April 29, 2025. Printed on transparency film and stacked in sequence, the overlaid text creates a single illegible mass. As the layers are lifted, each caption comes into view, allowing space to slow down, synthesize information, and see patterns emerge within events. In a flood of news, this work serves as a tool to wade through the muck.

Palpable Mass is printed with archival pigment ink on premium Pictorico transparency film with open source Inter type for legibility and similarity to headline fonts. All 76 quotes are cited with links to original source materials in a comprehensive index included in the box.

DIMENSIONS

Outer Box: 12.5 x 12.25 x 1.5 inches (open); 12.5 x 5.25 x 1.5 inches (closed)

Inner Box: 5.25 x 10.5 x .875 inches (open); 5.25 x 5 x .875 inches (closed)

Inner Sleeve: 5.25 x 10 x .25 inches (open); 5.25 x 5 x .25 inches (closed)

Edition of 35

2026

anne covell

California, USA
annecovell.com
IG:  @annecovell

Palpable Mass
2026

Archival pigment ink on Pictorico transparency film, custom Duo Briquette and Cialux Red double clamshell enclosure

12.5 x 12.25 x 1.5 inches (open); 12.5 x 5.25 x 1.5 inches (closed)

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