Exhibited at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts Historic Landmark Building, Philadelphia, PA
September 12th - October 3rd, 2020.
September 12th - October 3rd, 2020.
Time Flies
...is an Icon of (my) female existence.
A simple saying, with a whole lot of weight.
Medium: Polyester fabric, cotton batting, polyester thread, Dyetastic hand-dyed yarn (50% silk, 50% wool), metal clasps, weights, reversible sequin fabric, metal zipper, leather.
Dimensions: Variable
2020
Dimensions: Variable
2020
Quilting and fabrics connect to a rich history of fem makers. This piece, "Time Flies," references work by the hand, and imagination as a form of freedom from bodily limitations. Specifically, the hourglass quilt blocks refer simultaneously and materially to the quilting tradition, to the passage of time, and to the expectations of female bodies in society. The reflective fabric symbolizes my childhood pool where I experienced a desire to escape from societal expectations. "Time Flies" addresses aspects of fem existence in culture as a material and temporal reality.
Symbology
The initial idea for the construction of these large wings came from a recurring dream, based on a memory from my childhood. In the dream, I am in my backyard, looking down into my grandma’s swimming pool – the water is blue-green and rippling – I want nothing more than to jump into the water. Suddenly, I'm looking down upon my home with the ability to propel forward, upward and downward at will. This dream is where I have experienced my closest feeling to true freedom, and the pool a catalyst for discovery, reflection, and "rebellion."
Wings:
For me, wings are a symbol of freedom in life and in death. I grew up in a Christian town and around representations of angels as figures that were meant to guide us - and as representations of what we would become when we passed on. I find significance in using a symbol based in reality (a wing) to represent a (human) experience that does not exist - the experience of flying, or of death.
Quilting:
I find agency in quilting because it has historically been a medium in which women express creativity and views (from a home space), especially in times when we had very little say in anything. During my time in quarantine and throughout this pandemic, I have begun to think more critically about the passing of time, how quickly or slowly things can change, and the relationship that I have with my home space; past and present.
As a queer feminine person and a contemporary artist, I have received discrimination using my body as a means to belittle my accomplishments and ability to succeed; suggesting that I need to get married, have a child before the age of 35, and that I would never be able to sustain an art career while taking care of a “family." I was to “enjoy it while it lasted.”
Hourglass:
When I began to research quilting, I became drawn to many of the traditional quilt blocks that have a long history in American quilting and quilting around the world. I wanted to use the general idea of the traditional “Hourglass” block design.The hourglass refers simultaneously to time within the human experience - individual and public, and to a womxn’s "preferred" shape (within society) as well as symbolize the “preferred” “time-window” for childbearing that is sometimes connected to the worth of a fem body.
Wings:
For me, wings are a symbol of freedom in life and in death. I grew up in a Christian town and around representations of angels as figures that were meant to guide us - and as representations of what we would become when we passed on. I find significance in using a symbol based in reality (a wing) to represent a (human) experience that does not exist - the experience of flying, or of death.
Quilting:
I find agency in quilting because it has historically been a medium in which women express creativity and views (from a home space), especially in times when we had very little say in anything. During my time in quarantine and throughout this pandemic, I have begun to think more critically about the passing of time, how quickly or slowly things can change, and the relationship that I have with my home space; past and present.
As a queer feminine person and a contemporary artist, I have received discrimination using my body as a means to belittle my accomplishments and ability to succeed; suggesting that I need to get married, have a child before the age of 35, and that I would never be able to sustain an art career while taking care of a “family." I was to “enjoy it while it lasted.”
Hourglass:
When I began to research quilting, I became drawn to many of the traditional quilt blocks that have a long history in American quilting and quilting around the world. I wanted to use the general idea of the traditional “Hourglass” block design.The hourglass refers simultaneously to time within the human experience - individual and public, and to a womxn’s "preferred" shape (within society) as well as symbolize the “preferred” “time-window” for childbearing that is sometimes connected to the worth of a fem body.
As an object, we know that an hourglass can be rotated and manipulated to change its course…
"Time Flies" is a memorial and an icon to (my) female existence.
"Time Flies" is a memorial and an icon to (my) female existence.
Blankets:
When I was born, I was given a white blanket, which became known as my “Blankey” – and I took it everywhere - even to college. The blanket is a way to tell a life story. Quilts in particular have a special place in American culture for recording history (especially by the hands of women), for memorializing lives, welcoming new ones, and for gift giving in times of celebration.
Installation:
Time Flies was designed to be in conversation with the Pafa Historic Landmark Building's Gothic Architecture,
When reducing a complex emotion or idea to a simple form (or representation), there is a door that opens up to communication between the generic and the complex. I am able to secure the integrity of my own meanings, but also allow for others to project infinitely onto the work.