Secret CBC Crafting Society (2013)
These wall-hangings are constructed using a “needle-felting” technique using dyed wool roving on a cotton ground fabric.
These felted hangings portray three Canadian Broadcasting Corporation employees, Jian Ghomeshi, Rex Murphy and David Suzuki, partaking in traditional crafting activities: quilting, needle-work and crochet. The titles - "Q (is for Quilting)," "The Nature of (Crocheted) Things," and "Cross (Stitch) Country Checkup" - are puns that reference both the crafting activity portrayed in the piece as well as the television or radio program with which the individual is connected.
These pieces are inspired by my fascination with the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation; in addition to preserving and celebrating Canadian culture and keeping Canadians in touch with current news and popular trends, I have always felt a personal, almost paracosmic relationship to the CBC. Growing up in a rural community, the CBC has given me a sense of connect with the rest of the world. As a craftsperson who often works alone, the radio is my constant companion; the CBC is, in essence, the soundtrack of my life.
I often imagine celebrities, far removed from their VIP lounges, partaking in normal everyday rituals and routines – loading the dishwasher, clipping their toenails, or drinking milk straight from the carton. These three public figures – Suzuki, Ghomeshi and Murphy – reflect a certain brand of semi-accessible and relatable “celebrity” culture specific to Canada. I imagine David Suzuki joining my knitting club with his rainforest-certified wooden needles or Jian Ghomeshi trolling the isles of Fabricville for that perfect shade of quilting thread or Rex Murphy whipping out his embroidery hoop during a particularly boring CBC staff meeting. The secret crafting lives of Canadian celebrities is a vast and inexhaustible source of inspiration for me.
Exhibited 2013 in "Under 30," at the Inverness County Centre for the Arts.
Please click through the slideshow below to view in-progressive and images of these works:
(Photography credit: Peyton Chisholm)
These felted hangings portray three Canadian Broadcasting Corporation employees, Jian Ghomeshi, Rex Murphy and David Suzuki, partaking in traditional crafting activities: quilting, needle-work and crochet. The titles - "Q (is for Quilting)," "The Nature of (Crocheted) Things," and "Cross (Stitch) Country Checkup" - are puns that reference both the crafting activity portrayed in the piece as well as the television or radio program with which the individual is connected.
These pieces are inspired by my fascination with the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation; in addition to preserving and celebrating Canadian culture and keeping Canadians in touch with current news and popular trends, I have always felt a personal, almost paracosmic relationship to the CBC. Growing up in a rural community, the CBC has given me a sense of connect with the rest of the world. As a craftsperson who often works alone, the radio is my constant companion; the CBC is, in essence, the soundtrack of my life.
I often imagine celebrities, far removed from their VIP lounges, partaking in normal everyday rituals and routines – loading the dishwasher, clipping their toenails, or drinking milk straight from the carton. These three public figures – Suzuki, Ghomeshi and Murphy – reflect a certain brand of semi-accessible and relatable “celebrity” culture specific to Canada. I imagine David Suzuki joining my knitting club with his rainforest-certified wooden needles or Jian Ghomeshi trolling the isles of Fabricville for that perfect shade of quilting thread or Rex Murphy whipping out his embroidery hoop during a particularly boring CBC staff meeting. The secret crafting lives of Canadian celebrities is a vast and inexhaustible source of inspiration for me.
Exhibited 2013 in "Under 30," at the Inverness County Centre for the Arts.
Please click through the slideshow below to view in-progressive and images of these works:
(Photography credit: Peyton Chisholm)
