Chronos handmade costumes

I created both the costumes for this project to reflect the future of fabrics and support the current movement of slow fashion. In addition the design is based on simple ventilation techniques adapted for a hot and dry climate. Both pieces, the jacket and the vest are woven with materials that could be found in a desert environment. Firstly the Yucca plant fibre was used extensively throughout the weaving. This plant and others such as Agave and Sisal have a long history of being processed for the long stiff fibres contained in their leaves to make cordage and rope. Yucca …

SHIFTS, exhibition

Solo Exhibition of my Shifts; photographing the ephemeral series at Truth and Beauty Gallery in Vancouver BC. SHIFTS, is a series of photographs consisting of garments frozen into blocks of ice, which are then photographed. The deconstruction of the clothing is as a metaphor for the multilayered aspects of the self: seams are exposed, nylon stockings act as sleeves and grasses sprout from collars. Although frozen in time, the garments appear to dance, simultaneously forming and deforming, like unmasked shape-shifters. 5 Trans-mount photographs on plexiglass with hanging system. Dimensions: 28” wide by 48” high each. Edition 1 of 5 eachTitles: …

Art Works For Change

My work was featured on the Art Works For Change website for their: Footing the Bill: Art and Our Ecological Footprint (2019) online exhibition. “Originally launched on August 13, 2015 (Earth Overshoot Day 2015), Footing the Bill: Art and Our Ecological Footprint is an ongoing exhibition that addresses the urgent need to live sustainably within the Earth’s finite resources. The exhibition features a curated exhibition of artists whose work challenges us to reflect on our ecological footprint, as well as virtual tours from leading environmental organizations. The exhibition is updated annually to commemorate Earth Day, and for Earth Day 2019, …

CHEAP

Solo exhibition at the Method Gallery in Seattle WA. The central theme of the CHEAP installation is to examine issues of consumerism and to incentivize new ways of looking at this loaded word. My intention with this work is to use the word cheap to address the environmental impact of disposable goods through the lens of the fast fashion industry. In this new work, the word cheap will be accompanied with a long list of synonyms set within a textile context. CHEAP is inspired by a billboard ad I witnessed in 2014, which depicted happy jumping children in bright coloured …

StoreFront Video

I am happy to share with you a new short documentary about the StoreFront, objects of desire project at the Lansdowne Centre in Richmond BC by Michael Sider. This video captures the performance and audience engagement parts of the project as they occurred in the mall;  intersecting consumer culture and artistic interventions with gentle prodding and good humour. And of course the kids are so darned cute! Special thanks to Elisa Yon of the Richmond Public Art Program for supporting the creation of this video. Performers include, Nita Bowerman, Billy Marchenskie and myself. Enjoy.  

Nomadik in the Desert

The Nomadik Harvest Dress was part of the Flatlanders and Surface Dwellers exhibition at 516 Arts in Albuquerque New Mexico. Curator Lea Anderson invited me to come down and give a talk about my work and so I took the opportunity to also have the Ms Cornucopia, this time embodied by Korie Tatum, cook up a dish of Cholla cactus buds. I met with local native plant forager, Amy White, who took me out to gather plants, which was the highlight of my trip. We also went out to the desert to take some photos of the dress in it’s natural habitat. Special thanks to Rhiannon Mercer …

Suface Design Journal

Check out the Spring issue of Surface Design Journal which features the article Decomposing Couture, written by Leesa Hubbell, which talks about my Weedrobes series. The Lilac Swing Coat, worn by Nita Bowerman is featured on the cover. The whole issue is dedicated to dress and it has many wonderfully creative artists and projects in it.  Decomposing Couture-Hubbell

Knitting Cattails

No I am not knitting the tails of cats, but the  Cattail plant, which I harvested from the pond on Granville Island- and yes the maintenance guys were very happy to let me do that because it is very invasive and they have to go in with hip waders every year and pull a bunch of it out. I then washed  and dried the long leaves and stored them in the rafters of my basement. To use them for weaving or in my case knitting and crocheting, they have to first be soaked to make them pliable. For now i am experimenting …