ARTIST STATEMENT - When Words Are'nt Enough
As an artist and a citizen of the world I question the manipulation of mass communication. How is truth determined within this system of global media? Are truths subservient to political/ economic gain? Whose agenda prioritizes the news in terms of front page coverage and press space? Who establishes the context in which the headlines run? Do the masses matter as something other than consumers?Media’s ability to propagandize world issues has been the impetus for my current artwork. Today, the demands and manipulation of language are even greater. Fewer and fewer languages must serve a global culture.
Faiz Ahmad Faiz’s poetry resurfaced as an influence in my life because of its focus on overcoming disillusionment with the system and advocating the rights of the common people. Incorporating his words into my tableaus I have created surface tension by juxtaposing his words with media images, newspaper clippings and embroidery.
The embroidery functions as a drawing medium, weaving together the myriad elements into a multifaceted surface. The embroidery embodies an essential femininity. The merging of newspaper articles and textile patterns with the traditional techniques of dyeing, embroidery and wax resist bridges the gap between modern materials and the historical patterns of oppression and political servitude. The use of the square formally connects these works to quilting. Quilting is an activity performed by women in South Asia as both a means to help each other make clothe as well as a forum in which to communicate news and information. The quilting activity suggests a social and community endeavor.
Fundamentally the materials were chosen for their intrinsic message. The compression of newspapers, threads, wax, dyes, beads, cutout words, and textile patterns into a single layer creates a complex visual dialogue reflective of complicated weaves of thought, artistic action and social experience.