Assemblage, with copper, hand-carved bow, vintage embroidered fabric, new fabric, acrylic paint, found objects
25″ X 50″
2008

Cradle Hold is a juxtaposition of new and found pieces of fabric, and objects. The found fabrics are intriguing because they carry the history of themselves, of where they traveled, and of the people and hands that have worked with them. When assembled with the new objects, the found objects, with their secret and recorded histories, create a whole new story.

As ponderous as this might seem, the work always begins with a very playful energy. It’s only when two pieces come together and create a “wow” factor that there is a sense that the piece will work. I strive to become enthralled in the new story, with how the colours, images, textures and shapes, once assembled, work together. Even though I use the word “playful”, the work is hard and labour-intensive, because in it one has to allow the unexpected to come forward, and that can never be planned.