Wednesday, April 4, 2012

Aprons in April

Spring has finally sprung out here after a cold spell that seemed like it'd never end! After a brief hiatus from ArtsWalk...(I just couldn't stick it out on those cold Winter nights, Brrrr!) Button, Button, Who! will be coming out of hibernation and participating in the 2nd annual exhibit, “Five Stitches” at Division 9 Gallery. The show represents a common thread that unifies all five artists in the show through the medium of fabric. Work in the exhibit includes various works in textiles upon the theme of aprons. I have five total pieces in the show, one that is actually a four piece grouping called "Four Mothers", each piece representing a different culture, and a fifth piece is titled "Eventually We Become Our Mothers".
Here's a peek! This piece features five Matryoshka dolls, from the baby to the mother. She begins as a duplicate of the mother, just smaller, and as she grows, begins to change and develop her own identity; rebelling in her teenage years (that's the middle one),  eventually coming into her own, which is not unlike her own mother, but expressed in her own way.
All the pieces are made using fabric from vintage aprons from my collection. Over the years I've picked up aprons here and there, not sure if they would make it into my permanent collection, but being drawn to them, I couldn't just leave them! Ever since I was little and wore the pinafores that  my mother sewed for me, which were essentially fancy aprons, I have been enamored of aprons. To me, they speak of home, comfort food, and especially, Mom and all that mothers represent. So when Cosme of Division 9 Gallery asked me to participate in this show, I knew I had to do it, and knew my collection would be put to use, but wasn't sure how I was going to use the aprons! It took me a few months of thinking about it, until the answer, I realized was right in my own shop...Matryoshkas! I have been making them for Button, Button, Who! this whole time and what better way to feature my apron fabric, than depicting dolls wearing aprons? Not just dolls but dolls of mothers. I had so much fun working on these pieces...sometimes it's nice to break away and make something that is actually an expression of yourself and your feelings, even though on the surface they may appear cute and whimsical. As you may or may not have gathered, I am a huge fan of all things kitschy.
   The show opens tomorrow, at Riverside ArtsWalk on April 5th and continues through April 25th.
Button, Button will have a table set up for the opening night, so if you've been waiting to see the new stuff we've been working on, tomorrow's your chance! For further enticement...if you sport your favorite apron to the show tomorrow...each person wearing an apron will get entered into the raffle to win a doll from Button, Button, Who! I hope to see y'all there!!!!

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