Mended

Many of the pieces in this show are cyanotype collages that I created by digitally combining

old photographs with botanical and animal illustrations. Once I developed them I painted, collaged

and embroidered onto the prints to create the final mixed media pieces. I began with the works on

paper but found the act of sewing and embroidery so meditative and enjoyable I was drawn to

working on cloth and made the work in the embroidery hoops. The tunnel books evolved in part

thanks to my work as a high school art teacher and a student’s curiosity about this particular artist

book form.

This body of work continues my fascination with creating narratives from old photographs I

find at flea markets. I like to play around with the scale to keep them playful and slightly absurd.

Though light hearted at first glance, this work fulfills the continuing urge to remember these

forgotten strangers whose lives we can only guess about from the fleeting snippets we see of them

in dusty bins at antique shops. I spend time combing through piles of photographs and figuring out

how people are related to one another from the handwritten captions on the backs of the lots of

photos sold together.

The act of sewing, stitching and creating new scenes which recognize the universal

moments of joy - marriages, holding a baby, young siblings playing, road trips and holiday

celebrations - reconciles the innate sadness I feel when finding these discarded photographs. These

works are my attempt to bring new life to these lost memories, to mend and recognize the fleeting

nature of our time here. Creating these works help me to acknowledge and accept that some day we

will also be mere memories and snapshots of the universal moments of being human.