Other work 2016

This is the last piece on the theme of housing insecurity and fear in suburbia that I completed in 2016:

The work examines housing insecurity on multiple levels. Owning a home remains a powerful symbol of success and security in American culture.  For many, home ownership is completely out of reach.  For others, unemployment and inflation make the fear of losing one’s home a grave concern.  Owning a home in suburbia represents the achievement of the American Dream. I wonder if the dream is but another illusion hiding the fear and insecurity that is part of the human condition.

I have been processing the excitement/trauma of graduate school for most of 2016-17. Textiles and sewing are the heart of my creative practice and I will continue to use words, particularly embroidered words in my work. I am celebrating art-making for my own enjoyment, instead of the pursuit of a degree, as I move into a new phase of my creative life.

In addition to art making, my spiritual life has centered on the practice of Tai Chi that has been a daily and weely part of my life for more than 25 years. This is the first in a series of quilts to present and reflect on the quiet yet profound wisdom described in the Tao Te Ching, the philosophy behind the practice of Tai Chi. I hope this work will help to counteract the tension and anxiety present in the world today.