TorC, New Mexico : The Work
While in England to attend my father-in-law's funeral, I inherited some of my mother-in-law's sewing and knitting accoutrements. I loved that she used to darn socks with this wooden sock darner and that she saved her needles in a handmade needlepoint book with felt pages. I also inherited her thimble, shears, snippers, and several sizes of knitting needles.
Also, while in England, I picked up a magazine about contemporary embroidery.
I was back for a week in San Francisco before traveling to New Mexico for the residency. I brought a variety of possible tools: watercolors, paper, items for collaging, pastels, conte crayons, pencils, pens, and a few items for embroidery.
I have been thinking for the past several months about what has been going on in Ferguson, Baltimore, Brooklyn, New York City, North Charleston and the killing of unarmed African American men by gun, beatings, or choking. I wanted to address this topic but was stumped as to how I wanted to express this. I wanted to show my anger in a medium that was different from painting, at least at first. I wanted to use a quiet form. I began following the tweets of DeRay Mckesson and Johnetta Elzie, civil rights activists highlighted in an enlightening New York Times Sunday Magazine article by Jay Caspian Kang and I found poignant, jarring, revelatory tweets that made me think of words I wanted to use in an art piece. There were many images from the Ferguson demonstrations that were heart breaking...this was not the America I recognized. The images, however fed my imagination.
Then, I thought how about in sampler form? I associate samplers with a simple, innocent time. It is used to mark births, or have homey messages. It is something uniquely American. Embroidery is rarely thought of as a fine art form but more a craft and women's work. I like that this marginalized art form would address a marginalized people. I like the simplicity of the materials, cotton muslin and cotton thread. I liked the process of working with needle and thread. And, the contrast between the jarring messages and this homey medium was something I found interesting.
So, now I had a goal and a technique I wanted to use even though I had limited skills and knowledge. With the embroidery magazine and Youtube, I began making my first sampler.
This was the first theme and my realization how time consuming embroidery is. I have new found respect for this art form.
The upside down flag is the sign for distress. Yes, I think America is distressed and troubled.
My second embroidery was based on Mckesson's tweet "my blackness is not a weapon". Has blackness become weaponized in order to justify shooting unarmed black men? The bear was from an image of a large teddy bear with "Mike" in memory of Michael Brown, the unarmed 18 year old who was shot by a white police officer and left in the street for hours. The other practice stitches are inherent in embroidery samplers and so I include them. So while the message is the key part of the sampler, it still needs to be beautiful.
And, that was all I had time for during my 2 weeks in TorC. I left two days early so that I could spend time in Albuquerque. Now I had a project that meant something to me and something I wanted to enthusiastically pursue. The goal would be to do a minimum of 10 samplers, hoping that my technique will improve, and hoping the messages will speak to the viewers.
Also, while in England, I picked up a magazine about contemporary embroidery.
I was back for a week in San Francisco before traveling to New Mexico for the residency. I brought a variety of possible tools: watercolors, paper, items for collaging, pastels, conte crayons, pencils, pens, and a few items for embroidery.
I have been thinking for the past several months about what has been going on in Ferguson, Baltimore, Brooklyn, New York City, North Charleston and the killing of unarmed African American men by gun, beatings, or choking. I wanted to address this topic but was stumped as to how I wanted to express this. I wanted to show my anger in a medium that was different from painting, at least at first. I wanted to use a quiet form. I began following the tweets of DeRay Mckesson and Johnetta Elzie, civil rights activists highlighted in an enlightening New York Times Sunday Magazine article by Jay Caspian Kang and I found poignant, jarring, revelatory tweets that made me think of words I wanted to use in an art piece. There were many images from the Ferguson demonstrations that were heart breaking...this was not the America I recognized. The images, however fed my imagination.
Then, I thought how about in sampler form? I associate samplers with a simple, innocent time. It is used to mark births, or have homey messages. It is something uniquely American. Embroidery is rarely thought of as a fine art form but more a craft and women's work. I like that this marginalized art form would address a marginalized people. I like the simplicity of the materials, cotton muslin and cotton thread. I liked the process of working with needle and thread. And, the contrast between the jarring messages and this homey medium was something I found interesting.
So, now I had a goal and a technique I wanted to use even though I had limited skills and knowledge. With the embroidery magazine and Youtube, I began making my first sampler.
NO JUSTICE
NO PEACE
This was the first theme and my realization how time consuming embroidery is. I have new found respect for this art form.
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| "No Justice, No Peace 2015 |
The upside down flag is the sign for distress. Yes, I think America is distressed and troubled.
My second embroidery was based on Mckesson's tweet "my blackness is not a weapon". Has blackness become weaponized in order to justify shooting unarmed black men? The bear was from an image of a large teddy bear with "Mike" in memory of Michael Brown, the unarmed 18 year old who was shot by a white police officer and left in the street for hours. The other practice stitches are inherent in embroidery samplers and so I include them. So while the message is the key part of the sampler, it still needs to be beautiful.
BLACKNESS IS NOT A WEAPON
And, that was all I had time for during my 2 weeks in TorC. I left two days early so that I could spend time in Albuquerque. Now I had a project that meant something to me and something I wanted to enthusiastically pursue. The goal would be to do a minimum of 10 samplers, hoping that my technique will improve, and hoping the messages will speak to the viewers.
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