ADDRESSING THE PAST, 2013
INVITED
This artwork consisting of two constructed dresses is an investigation into the childhood of twin girls who had the same upbringing. It examines their recollections, exploring whether their memories converge or deviate as these women bravely reveal their challenging past. The text and imagery have all been hand stitched with silk threads.
Twin 1
Darkest of all are Caren Garfen’s two pinafores, which are meticulously embroidered with a text that unfolds into a tale of an oppressive childhood. Visually enticing to draw in the viewers, the text itself is compelling and disturbing, telling the story of Garfen and her twin sister tucked up in bed while their peers play outside in a childhood summer and their seamstress mother grimly finishes off the piecework that can’t be disturbed by children. Emma Geliot, Embroidery magazine
Twin 2
Hand-me-down dolls house from their childhood has been replicated in stitch
Hand-me-down toy dresser from their childhood has been replicated in stitch
Process: Hand stitch
Materials: Textile, silk threads
Exhibited in:
On My Mother’s Knee, Llantarnam Grange Arts Centre, South Wales (2013) :LINK
Solo Gallery, The Knitting & Stitching Show, Alexandra Palace, London (2014)
Solo Gallery, The Knitting & Stitching Show, Harrogate, North Yorkshire (2014)