An investigation into the mechanics of the subconscious forms the core of the MacDowell Bed Studies. Produced during a residency at the MacDowell Colony—a celebrated New Hampshire retreat known for its culture of artistic seclusion—the series was prompted by Hawrysio’s observation that her bed shifted considerably on its wheels as she slept. She devised a method to register this movement by placing an etching plate beneath each wheel for a week, while simultaneously keeping a written log of her dreams.

In his essay for the exhibition catalogue Situational Prints, Ian Wallace notes that these works function as “event-structures” rather than pictures, where the artist’s “touch” is replaced by a mechanical “imprint”. By letting nocturnal stirrings inscribe her “dream-shiftings” onto the etching plates, Hawrysio effectively bypasses conscious will and the “masterful intentions” of the artist. Situated at the intersection of somatic recording and conceptual printmaking, the final imagery exists as a memory trace of a physical situation, bridging the gap between the intimacy of sleep and the “indifference” of process.