Tracing Time

Tracing Time is part my abstract painting series, Sewn Open, inspired by kintsugi (a Japanese ceramics technique and philosphy that mends breaks with gold honoring its imperfections).

In this work, the history of art, earth and individual are investigated. Painted Canyon, a segment of the 28-million-year-old San Andreas Fault, was my rock reference. This potentially very dangerous place is where the western and eastern tectonic plates meet—any significant plate movement would cause unimaginable change to this and surrounding areas. I hiked inside the fault-line earlier this year and was enamoured by the shimmering pink, brown and green colors that wash the hills and canyon walls.

By including handmade lace, similar to works made by my grandmother and great-grandmother, I aim to challenge perceptions of art, craft and gender. Lace was not considered an art form and thread was banned from some museums. New life is breathed into old objects giving credit where it is due. Machine-made lace and Japanese paper connect the artwork to the present era of mass production. An industrialized flower and large crochet were pushed into the "rock" creating a fossil-like impression, some of which was "repaired" with gold leaf.

I love creating works that transcend change and tension with grace and beauty.