These pieces represent my photographs translated into hand-embroidered drawings. While trying unsuccessfully to make some new, fresh work I ended up dwelling on certain street photographs I had made, most of them from several years ago. The presence of the subject and the organization of the picture held me somehow. Rather than venturing out to make more photographs, I decided to make this tactile re-interpretation of the photographic image.
The practice of making textiles by anonymous women and girls—and in the last 1/2 century, by pioneering feminist fiber-based artists—is a source of inspiration. I find the laborious process of stitching on the one hand satisfying and meditative, and on the other hand time-consuming and given to very basic decisions (about editing and color) that can’t easily be reversed. Each piece takes over a year to design and complete, and by the time it has finished, encompasses a whole period of my life and time from an image created in a fraction of a second.
