About
2010
These sculptural "emblems" are made from fabric and created in the spirit of Victorian Mourning jewellery where decorative mementos were crafted out of a deceased loved ones hair. The fabric used to create these works was taken from a blanket purchased at a thrift store and specifically chosen because it still carried a label identifying its previous owner.The blanket was patiently unwoven and recrafted into the multiples.They were then sold to support “Reconceptualization”, a belief in reuse, repurpose and rediscovery.
At the end of the project, it was my hope to find the “Christine Maila” who donated her used blanket to the thrift store. In my communication to her I wanted to ask her to choose to who I might donate the monies raised. My inspiration stemmed from seeing Foundations existing today in what seems like an ego-based system of "who’s who" of the elite. My intention was to undermine this system by creating a foundation honouring benevolence and an everyday citizen whose donation of a blanket has inspired this project.
At first I was not successful, but one day I received an email from Christine Maila's family. Amazingly, they had heard of the project and tracked me down. A few days later I replied. There was no reply.I tried again, and again. It seems I had lost Christine Maila again.