Dawn's Story
Dawn embraces a messy, intuitive process in her art and works without a plan, as a contrast to the more typical carefully structured way that people are “taught” to create art. She uses uneven stitches and irregular shapes to highlight the difference between things made by machines and things made by humans. Inconsistencies in her work are not mistakes but essential elements that remind us that we are all unique individuals with our own stories, flaws and imperfections that do not need to be forced into uniform conformity.
This project examines alternative ways to approach textile art that do not have to start with consumerism. I use litter I find on the street as inspiration for miniature textile works stitched entirely from leftover fabric scraps. Many pieces subvert wording on discarded packaging to create new messages, some playful, others challenging.
On the surface, the work is a statement about waste. It is undeniably absurd to spend hours hand-stitching an object that represents something tossed aside without a thought, but is it any less absurd to devote resources and energy to producing items that will be so quickly discarded?
At a deeper level, the work invites viewers to consider the difference between things mass manufactured for uniformity and unique objects lovingly and imperfectly made by human hands.
