embroidered sunsets in used backpacks

Sunsets 2022 Repurposed used backpacks, embroidery and fabric collage on linen.

Gear

For this series , I deconstruct used outdoor equipment to create forms that are familiar, yet impractical. Some are interactive works that invite the viewer to unzip, unclip, and unbuckle elements that open to reveal embroidered innards. Three smaller pieces are designed for children to open.

I embroider images from my drawings and photographs to evoke places the gear may have traversed –places that subtly carry symptoms of global warming. I often see changes in the landscape and wonder, “Is this normal?” The delicacy of silk, cotton, and linen contrast with the durability of synthetic mesh and nylon webbing. Many of outdoor fabrics are made from substances like oil and coal that damage the environment and do not biodegrade. However, their water repellant qualities, light weight, and sturdiness are valuable for human comfort and safety.

Oceanus (five backpack frames, nylon rope, paint and embroidery on linen.

Interactive Gear