Fiber and Collage
In these works, I am exploring imagery about domesticity through traditional “women’s work”. I am incorporating sewing and embroidery in addition to traditional collage and mixed media work. The time and meditation required to stitch these images is significant, because in the past they were acceptable venues for young women to express their passions.
I am fascinated by vintage women’s magazines and their representation of women. There is always a ring on her finger, and she is always smiling while pontificating on the gloriousness of a new cleaning product or household invention. The historical placement of these ads contradicts many social issues, such as women in the workplace, harassment, birth control, children conceived out of wedlock, spousal abuse, incest, and rape. I am interested in the inherent contradictions of a “happy housewife” in any era and especially the continuity of these expectations within our society. It seems no matter how much things change, they stay the same.
