I am a fiber artist interested in the emotions and histories that exist inside of domestic comfort objects. Blending secondhand objects with experimental handiwork techniques, I create highly tactile works to facilitate questions about the power of shared identity and community in a world that is increasingly hyper individualistic and anti-social. My works explore an alternative world where community is found inside the stitches of a blanket, or the warmth of polyester fur; in the echoes of the many hands that have pinned and tucked their soul into the textiles that envelop and support us every day.
YOUR CLOTH IN MY HANDS, 2022, installation, knitted blankets, crocheted blankets, stuffed animals, faux fur, 50% Alpaca 50% Wool yarn, ready made couch, ready made rug
YOUR CLOTH IN MY HANDS, 2022, crocheted doilies, 50% alpaca 50% wool yarn, Glitch Feminism by Legacy Russel, crochet tablecloth, pattern paper, bedsheets, wool stuffing
HERMAN, 2022, Faux fur, secondhand stuffed animals, scrap fabric, linen, batting
Photo by Sage Dye
YOUR CLOTH IN MY HANDS, 2022, Installation
Photo by Sage Dye
YOUR CLOTH IN MY HANDS, 2022, installation, hand knit 50% alpaca 50% wool balaclava, secondhand stuffed bear, corduroy shirt, bedsheets
Photo by Sage Dye
YOUR CLOTH IN MY HANDS, 2022, installation, crocheted doilies, 50% alpaca 50% wool yarn, secondhand stuffed animals, faux fur, crocheted blankets, knitted blankets
Photo by Sage Dye
FRIEND WITH FRIENDS, 2021, modified secondhand stuffed animals, secondhand crochet tablecloth
Photo by Sage Dye
VICDOUGHRY LOAVES, 2022, crochet lace tablecloth, bedsheets, wool batting, pattern paper, cellophane bag, photolitho print
Photo by Sage Dye
TUNNEL, 2021, stuffed animals, knitted blankets, chickenwire, styrofoam, LED string lights
Photo by Sage Dye
TUNNEL, 2021, stuffed animals, knitted blankets, chickenwire, styrofoam, LED string lights
Photo by Sage Dye
My body of work titled YOUR CLOTH IN MY HANDS stemmed from living alone for the first time between the months of July 2021- April 2022. It was here I realized how much of my life and behavior was influenced by safeguards put in place when around another person. Living alone allowed me space to explore questions about my sexuality and relationship with domesticity as a woman artist working in craft. It was the first opportunity to have creative control over a multi room space, and explore how to translate my identity and taste into interior spaces. Coinciding with the beginning of my graduate studies, the lines between my artistic practice and personal life began to blur and intertwine into a singular journey of exploration of self inside of my apartment.
I see my work set firmly inside a rich community of women who engage with textiles and domesticity to explore feminist ideals. The work and life of Moki Cherry was particularly inspirational to my work this semester, as well as Legacy Russel’s Glitch Feminism, Miriam Shapiro and Judy Chicago’s Womanhouse, and Dr. Micha Cárdena’s concept to see the stitch as a basis for feminist theory. Micha introduces the stitch as “less violent than the cut, and intending to join, in the service of healing and creation, rather than in the service of destruction”. Working primarily with handmade textiles sourced from charity shops and vintage stores, I am interested in how art objects can hold community inside of them. I hope to celebrate the women who engage with crochet, lacework, and the various domestic art practices that have been historically snubbed and undervalued. The home can be a beautiful catalyst for women to find freedom of expression, creation, and exploration.