Personalitas

With this work fragments and scraps are used to create an icon to the beauty of a common life, lived.
It was created as part of a body of work investigating the paradoxes of society relating to the valuing of the mundane, especially mundane female labour. By using materials that are residues from previous human activity I sought to challenge the viewer's perceptions of 'value' and 'worth', elevating material 'waste' to a place of unquestionable value and worth.

"Personalitas" 2014. 42cm x 36cm. Cotton calico, assorted embroidery floss, padding. 

Personalitas is hand painted and hand embroidered calico. The painting is done with natural pigments and the embroidery done with various hand dyed silk threads. It is a small intimate piece requiring close inspection.  The mounting has the fabric surface proud of the matte board evoking Cameos that were once so popular with women of means. The base painting is a small portion of  handwriting done in natural pigment as part of my diaristic research practice.
(In private collection)






1. www.thefreedictionary.com/cameo

a. A gem or shell carved in relief, especially one in which the raised design and the background consist of layers of contrasting colors.