Exhibition at the Indianapolis Museum of Art, Summer 2006
Night Lights, 2006. Shibori bound-resist, clamp-resist and stitch-resist dyed and discharged linen. Hand-made wool felt. Satin trim. Embellished with antique buttons. 52”w x 75”h. Image based on a satellite photograph of light pollution in the midwest.
Detail of Night Lights
Detail of Night Lights
Rain, 2006. Shibori stitch-resist dyed linen, linen yarn, dowel, wood, enamel, portable dvd player, digital video. Triptych: total dimensions = 81”w x 73”h x 4”d
Detail of Rain, 2006
Earth, Air, Fire, Water, 2006. Digital video on monitor.
Grid, 2006. Shibori stitch-resist and bound-resist dyed linen and cotton, linen yarn, dowel, wood, portable dvd player, digital video. Triptych: total dimensions = 89”w x 80”h x 5”d
Detail of Grid, 2006.
Installation view - with digital prints of video stills, "Earth, Air, Fire, Water", in background
Near and Far, 2006. Collaborative installation with William Tourtillotte. Digital prints and cardboard.
Effluent, 2006. Shibori stitch-resist dyed linen, linen yarn, dowel and enamel. 34”w x 103”h x 5”d
Detail. Effluent, 2006.
Field, 2003. Resist dyed and discharged linen (arashi shibori), embroidery on raw silk, linen yarn, poplar, dowel, enamel. 34”w x 89”h x 5.5” d
Before + After, 2006. Shibori resist dyed linen, hand stitching, linen yarn, dowel and enamel. Diptych: each section 32”w x 68”h x 4.25”d
Grid Studies, 2006. Embroidery floss and sewing thread on raw silk.
Near and Far: Looking at Patterns - 2006
Artist Statement
Recognizing pattern and change in the places where we live is often dependent on perspective. An aerial photograph can reveal recurring forms that viewed from the ground appear singular and independent. Patterns that cannot be seen at a distance may reveal themselves under very close, even microscopic inspection. And additional patterns may be observed by monitoring events that reoccur over time. All of these patterns provide evidence of the gradual or abrupt transformations we experience in our environment.
I became interested in looking at patterns and change in the landscape as I observed new development in my hometown of South Bend, Indiana. As in many American towns, new homes, commercial strips and industrial parks are being built around the perimeter of the city. Watching the conversion of farm fields to suburbs and parking lots made me question the history of this land and its changing use over time. As I began to document this landscape, I was also influenced by the new weather patterns we can attribute to global warming. For us locally, this has resulted in warmer winters with little snowfall, earlier springs and increased periods of drought, thunderstorms and tornadoes.
Using such sources as satellite photographs, microscopic images and my own photographs and videos of this landscape, I have translated the subjects and patterns I see around me into my shibori dyed fabrics, embroideries and videos. Whether looking at smokestack emissions, satellite images of Indiana steel mills and farms, a migrating flock of black birds or a rain shower in my backyard, all of these subjects contribute to our changing landscape.