Interrupted Passage
Medium: Fabric Collage
What does it mean to take something apart, and how do we choose to piece it back together again? How might small acts of attention, attempts to hold together what remains, encourage awareness and action?
Quilting has a long association of repair, mending, repurposing, and storytelling. It is a traditional craft used to hold memory, to provide warmth and comfort, and at times, to take a perfectly fine piece of fabric, tear it apart, and reassemble it into something entirely new.
This fabric collage tells the story of the Atlantic Sturgeon, an ancient fish now on the brink of extinction. Its decline is tied to us. It has been heavily harvested for its eggs. The rivers it depends on have been blocked, cutting off its path to spawn and sustain its life cycle. I work within the contradiction of contributing to the problem through my art making while also confronting the guilt that comes with it. I remain conscious of my material choices and their impact on the very things I am asking viewers to consider.
There is an intentionality in quilting. Placing small pieces of fabric, cutting and arranging, and gradually building forms requires patience and attention. As I construct the image of the fish, I think about what it might mean if we, as humans, moved through the world with the same care.
