Remnants: Cairn Series (2015)
The Cairn Series drew its inspiration from a textile sewn by my great grandmother in the 1930’s or 40’s. I was intrigued by her use of discarded fabric remnants, which speak of an economy of material. By repurposing fabric scraps, my great grandmother preserved memories; intimate and everyday garments like a silk tie, day dress and scarf still reflect their original origins yet are transformed and elevated into something precious.
Throughout this series, I applied a philosophy of sustainability as well as the idea that materials inherently retain memory. Each paper swatch is either repurposed from a past work or generated from the process of painting and tinting other swatches. The individual paper fragments then find their organic shape in my surroundings. Specifically these forms are translations and rubbings of cracked tiles in a stairwell. Although largely overlooked by those traversing them, the unique contours act as an index of time and human activity.
Borrowing from the lexicon of weaving, colorful clusters of paper are grouped together and suspended in space by the tension of threads. Delicate yet strengthened by their interwoven structure these modular forms act as stacked cairns. They are landmarks, memorials or shrines reaching upwards, aspiring toward something more sacred.