To round out the “Shapeshifters” exhibition at Modified Arts in Phoenix, Arizona, I’ll be creating live and “life size” versions of my found object work at the closing reception this Saturday, February 12th.The work in the exhibition is based on the changing the symbolism of common, pop-culture items by placing them in an implied alternate context by way of hand-embroidery. The live pieces are aimed at taking the above concept one step further. On the surface the idea is simple. I plan to use a living, breathing person as the ‘found object’ focus item. I sew on/over/around them, like in the still pieces but on a much larger scale.
As technology has become ever more increasingly infused into our daily lives, our culture and values have shifted. Often I am questioned about the time it takes to hand-stitch my art work. (That is, once people discover that I do not use a machine.) And so it is not a surprise that the visual art world has recently fallen in line with this age of everything instant and/or digitally created. In my live work, a person’s context is changed while simultaneously the act of sewing elevates the idea of an artistic capture of a pose or a moment taking place over time. The pieces also speak to the temporary nature of a moment in time in the literal sense that the resulting work will be destroyed when the subject is (literally) cut from his/her context.
Live work will take place between 5 and 7pm, Saturday, February 12th at Modified Arts, 407 E Roosevelt St., Phoenix, AZ
Gallery Hours: Thursday-Saturdays, 12-6pm, First Friday 6-9pm; By appointment: 602-462-5516
For more information about the exhibition, artists or gallery visit www.modifiedarts.org.
