Artist Statement
Knit, woven and sewn, my works in fabric and paper are about love, labor and vulnerability. They are crafted to be durable, and yet are constructed from delicate pieces with repeated imperfections and tenuous connections.
I come from a long line of knitters and needle pointers. The women of my family, who are otherwise rocketed by energy, find a way to be still, to cultivate calmness, and to pass time with this constant binding. They take longs lines of fiber and concentrate time and attention and love into hats and mittens, sweaters and blankets that warm and protect those they hold close.
In 2013, I experienced the sudden death of my partner and adopted this familial ritual as an ordered way to experience my grief. For 18 months, I cut apart and unraveled his clothing and then knit all of it back together, creating a 14×16’ tapestry from the garments that bore the memory of his space. This experience began my fascination with fiber and fabric; my belief in the meaningfulness of objects that we touch on a daily basis; and, a knowing that time and labor are fundamental to my work.
This work has evolved to include weaving and patchwork. I often pare back the color and regulate the composition in order to prioritize the underlying geometries. I privilege seams, methods of construction, binding and attachment, and at times showcase what would traditionally be the back as the front. My work presents a subtle, but compelling, visual conundrum: these pieces are highly regular and totally irregular all at once. It is this tension that brings to light a certain tenderness in the imperfect texture of our ordinary experience.
Contact information:
Shift Gallery 