Welcome Back to this year’s Women Pulling at the Threads of Social Discourse interview series, running alongside our gallery exhibition for the next two months. We asked the eighty (yes, eighty) artists participating in the sixth-annual edition of our textile exhibition, We Got the Power, to reflect on the themes present in our main source material (Aristophanes' Lysistrata), as well as their own relationships with the medium.
Our second Q&A roundup features CAMP artists artist Heidi Hankaniemi, joined by artists Melanie Brewster, Catherine Olivier, Mary Tooley Parker and Sarah Laing.
We'll be publishing every wednesday and saturday until the exhibition ends on December 20, 2024. stay tuned to see who's next, and don't forget to share to instagram using #wpattosd .
Melanie Brewster. We Will Feed Each Other, 2024.Upcycled velvet fabric, bronze spikes, leather, metallic trim, cyanotype stuffed with recycled polyfill, rose gold leafing. 12 x 24 inches. Available via Artsy.
Why is fiber your medium of choice?
Melanie Brewster: Having spent time with many different media (ceramics, painting, photography), fiber offers the best of all worlds. You can build texture, color, and create sculptural shapes with speed and flexibility. Most things you sew can be undone without any waste or fuss.
Heidi Hankaniemi: I work by hand and love the tactile quality of fiber. I love the multitude of ways in which one can approach "fiber" art.
Catherine Olivier: I like the material, the different textures and the play of transparencies with the fabrics.
Mary Tooley Parker: I have been learning various fiber techniques s8nce I was 8. I love putting my hands directly on the material.
Sarah Laing: In fiber I can stitch as drawing, with painting, collage, embellishment, and can merge surfaces best.
Sarah Laing: In fiber I can stitch as drawing, with painting, collage, emebellishment, and can merge surfaces best.
Sarah Laing: In fiber I can stitch as drawing, with painting, collage, embellishment, and can merge surfaces best.
Sarah Laing: In fiber I can stitch as drawing, with painting, collage, emebellishment, and can merge surfaces best.
What was your introduction to fiber art?
MB: My mother used to make my halloween costumes when I was little. Watching her on the sewing machine felt like a form of wizardry; we went from a shapeless pile of pink lace and satin to a beautiful gown. In school I pivoted away from fiber art to focus on photography, but at some point in college I saw a show of Sheila Hicks’ work and it blew my mind. I hadn't been thinking of fiber as another way to paint or compose.
HH: Growing up in a home filled with decorative handicrafts, especially the Swedish style Huck embroideries.
CO: I have spent a long time around fiber during my studies whose specialty was textiles to E.N.S.A.D.(National School of Decorative Arts of Paris) so I continued artistic research around fibers I regularly practice working with fabric, with pyrography fibers on double fabrics one in cotton linen behind the other in front on a transparent canvas. I create the drawing through burning, the fire heats and hurts at the same time, weakens the drawing. Pictorial paradoxical situation, where pleasure and pain follow one another.
HH: Growing up in a home filled with decorative handicrafts, especially the Swedish style Huck embroideries.
CO: I have spent a long time around fiber during my studies whose specialty was textiles to E.N.S.A.D.(National School of Decorative Arts of Paris) so I continued artistic research around fibers I regularly practice working with fabric, with pyrography fibers on double fabrics one in cotton linen behind the other in front on a transparent canvas. I create the drawing through burning, the fire heats and hurts at the same time, weakens the drawing. Pictorial paradoxical situation, where pleasure and pain follow one another.
'What the fire licks has another taste in the mouths of men. What the fire has illuminated retains an indelible color. What the fire caressed, loved, adored, gained memories and lost...' Bachelard
MTP: I taught myself how to knit in Elementary School.
SL: I began doing fiber arts when in college as a studio art major
MTP: I taught myself how to knit in Elementary School.
SL: I began doing fiber arts when in college as a studio art major
After the 2016 election , and still today, I thought a lot about how so many of us are excluded from making decisions that impact our lives.
Melanie Brewster
Who inspires you?
MB: I am inspired by every woman who wakes up each morning too tired to go on, but goes on anyway.HH: Women who have stood up for themselves. My neighbor, retired CIA Agent Lucy Kirk.
CO: The ability to attract attention in the face of erasure. I like to play, revealing different qualities of presence, sensation of variable existences, various states of being, states of mind and games of power. My work also revolves around the idea of the metamorphosis of the image evolving through different mediums: drawings, paintings, screen prints, installations.
MTP: Sheila Hicks.
SL: Lenore Tawney, Magdalena Abakanowicz, Eva Hesse, Faith Ringgold.
Heidi Hankaniemil. Locked Up, 2024. Tights, batting, foam-board, thread, one lock. 12 x 24 inches. Available via Artsy.
In today's society we continue to have to deal with this struggle of men vs. women; over who decides over our bodies, in the work-force, at home, in politics, in the Presidential election.
Heidi Hankaniemi
What was your reaction to this year’s call for submissions?
MB: Initially, a bit of fear! I'm not used to working with size constraints and was worried about meeting the criteria. However, as a Greek American who loves mythology, the topic was entirely "on brand" for me and very fitting with our current political climate. The work also makes me think of Judy Chicago's calls for a feminist society and the graphic novel Y The Last Man.
HH: How timely! With the current World events the Lysistrata seems like a crazy utopian idea but ... what ... if it could work, also today...?!
CO: Your call for projects caught my attention, because I have made project, following a reflection on the heritage of the Paris Commune, the presence of women in the Commune.
MTP: I've always believed that the world would be a better place if ruled by women because women who have children understand the value of life.
SL: It is a very timely exhibit given what is at stake for women in this country right now. I also was interested in the Chiraq movie connection because Chicago is my hometown.
I have a little trouble with the word power, moreover I like to make fun of symbols of domination, I prefer the idea that women deserve as much as men to access positions of responsibility
Catherine Olivier
Tell us about your piece for We Got the Power, and what it means to you.
MB: "We Will Feed Each Other" is a phrase that has haunted me for a few years. After the 2016 election (and still today), I thought a lot about how so many of us are excluded from making decisions that impact our lives. Everything from access to care and resources to who we bomb and displace with our military is decided by others. What power do we retain? How do we nourish each other in this inhospitable climate?
The image of a two headed snake knowingly consuming itself was made to remind me that care for oneself and for others, even if nourishing in the moment, is always a sacrifice too.
HH: I've played with stitched tights in past works and instantly thought of using the idea for this theme. The tights represent womanhood and female sexuality in a sheer but strong (!) way.
The image of a two headed snake knowingly consuming itself was made to remind me that care for oneself and for others, even if nourishing in the moment, is always a sacrifice too.
HH: I've played with stitched tights in past works and instantly thought of using the idea for this theme. The tights represent womanhood and female sexuality in a sheer but strong (!) way.
The crotch is off bounds, the legs are closed with the men (red fire) and women (blue water) pulling in different directions with the back-and -forth stitching. Visually I find the pieces very simple but also a little comical.
CO: The desire to put into personal perspective, the current mutations, this mixture of impressions when we are far from the events and we look at them... Sensation of change, an era which questions habits, certainties. things seen by habit, slyly anchored in respectability, are suddenly looked at with circumspection... Question mark why was granted this stature , need for a historical rebalance, where the feminine has its place.
MTP: The Squad is representing the unrepresented people in the USA. There are very few people in politics that can say that anymore, without lying. They should be lauded like the figures on Mt. Rushmore for keeping on keeping on in spite of the insanity of our federal government right now.
SL: My piece is of a female figure that represents the power of visioning for collective wellbeing. The figure is wearing a scrap of fabric from my wedding dress. Underneath this sheer beaded lace is her large heart stitched with the word "vision" and a vine symbolizing growth. She stands on an embroidered cliff and is looking outward on a patchwork horizon of the ocean. She is reminded to "discover sparks" and to "take the long view". With this vantage point, one can look past the stressors and tensions of daily life. Through manifesting our challenges, we can rise up, and look toward a higher spirit. I had a lot of text of words which got stitched again into the background. I felt the need to voice these and then cover them up, to keep these hidden messages secret, and to blend them into the landscape. It represents my introverted nature and how women often do unseen work. Many women will never get the credit for their labor and hard work. Some of the words that the viewer may be able to see are "breathe", "health", "patience", "collaboration", and "motivation." I am an art therapist and do a lot of visioning and journaling with my clients. I am empowered by a feminist approach to therapy and utilize a collective, narrative, choice-based, neutral space. I absolutely live for visioning and am grateful to be in a collective sharing with other female artists.
CO: The desire to put into personal perspective, the current mutations, this mixture of impressions when we are far from the events and we look at them... Sensation of change, an era which questions habits, certainties. things seen by habit, slyly anchored in respectability, are suddenly looked at with circumspection... Question mark why was granted this stature , need for a historical rebalance, where the feminine has its place.
MTP: The Squad is representing the unrepresented people in the USA. There are very few people in politics that can say that anymore, without lying. They should be lauded like the figures on Mt. Rushmore for keeping on keeping on in spite of the insanity of our federal government right now.
SL: My piece is of a female figure that represents the power of visioning for collective wellbeing. The figure is wearing a scrap of fabric from my wedding dress. Underneath this sheer beaded lace is her large heart stitched with the word "vision" and a vine symbolizing growth. She stands on an embroidered cliff and is looking outward on a patchwork horizon of the ocean. She is reminded to "discover sparks" and to "take the long view". With this vantage point, one can look past the stressors and tensions of daily life. Through manifesting our challenges, we can rise up, and look toward a higher spirit. I had a lot of text of words which got stitched again into the background. I felt the need to voice these and then cover them up, to keep these hidden messages secret, and to blend them into the landscape. It represents my introverted nature and how women often do unseen work. Many women will never get the credit for their labor and hard work. Some of the words that the viewer may be able to see are "breathe", "health", "patience", "collaboration", and "motivation." I am an art therapist and do a lot of visioning and journaling with my clients. I am empowered by a feminist approach to therapy and utilize a collective, narrative, choice-based, neutral space. I absolutely live for visioning and am grateful to be in a collective sharing with other female artists.
What does your piece respond to, both in the context of the play and in society?
MB: We Will Feed Each Other is about sacrifice, entanglements, and care. Nothing nourishing is without consequence or ethical violation--from using our iPhones to eating chocolate--there are always others who are harmed in making the things we delight in.
The play speaks to withholding pleasure for a perceived "greater good" -- it makes me wonder what the world would be if men were not the arbiters of what was good or just.
HH: My pieces respond to the back and forth power struggle between men and women. In the play I drew from the 'Divided chorus of old men vs old women' scene.
HH: My pieces respond to the back and forth power struggle between men and women. In the play I drew from the 'Divided chorus of old men vs old women' scene.
In today's society we continue to have to deal with this struggle of men vs. women; over who decides over our bodies, in the work-force, at home, in politics, in the Presidential election.
CO: The gestures of resistance, how this resistance is currently expressed, the vigor, the force of expression of the demonstrators, the beauty of the gestures of resistance, of opposition to power, from the umbrella revolution in Hong Kong to the “Black Lives” movement Matters”.and in the same timeI wanted to confront the demystified statues of these men of power, unbolted statues, frozen in the air suspended as if a questioning of their existence, the ridiculousness of the situation hence the idea of installing them in a carousel.
MTP: Similarly to my last answer The Squad is representing the unrepresented people in the USA. There are very few people in politics that can say that anymore, without lying. They should be lauded like the figures on Mt. Rushmore for keeping on keeping on in spite of the insanity of our federal government right now.
SL: In the play Lysistrata she is frustrated by the unfair treatment of women in Athens and I connected with her strength and independence. In our society today I have witnessed injustices in Chicago and having moved to the more conservative state of Florida. I am deeply troubled by the attack on women's reproductive rights, the banning of books and educational pedagogy in Florida schools, and the state of gun violence in this country and in Chicago in particular. I am passionate about the work I do with young adults dealing with mental health challenges. My artwork connects to their ability to overcome hardships, their willingness to share from a deeply personal space, and it represents my own little peace accord.
CO: The gestures of resistance, how this resistance is currently expressed, the vigor, the force of expression of the demonstrators, the beauty of the gestures of resistance, of opposition to power, from the umbrella revolution in Hong Kong to the “Black Lives” movement Matters”.and in the same timeI wanted to confront the demystified statues of these men of power, unbolted statues, frozen in the air suspended as if a questioning of their existence, the ridiculousness of the situation hence the idea of installing them in a carousel.
MTP: Similarly to my last answer The Squad is representing the unrepresented people in the USA. There are very few people in politics that can say that anymore, without lying. They should be lauded like the figures on Mt. Rushmore for keeping on keeping on in spite of the insanity of our federal government right now.
SL: In the play Lysistrata she is frustrated by the unfair treatment of women in Athens and I connected with her strength and independence. In our society today I have witnessed injustices in Chicago and having moved to the more conservative state of Florida. I am deeply troubled by the attack on women's reproductive rights, the banning of books and educational pedagogy in Florida schools, and the state of gun violence in this country and in Chicago in particular. I am passionate about the work I do with young adults dealing with mental health challenges. My artwork connects to their ability to overcome hardships, their willingness to share from a deeply personal space, and it represents my own little peace accord.
Mary Tooley Parker. The Squad Mount Rushmore, 2024. Commercially and hand-dyed wool fabric strips, fleece, metallic film ribbon, stretch velvet, metallic yarn on linen foundation. 12 x 24 inches. Available via Artsy.
How do you hope viewers will respond to your piece?
MB: I hope that viewers see the piece as a call to action that also troubles notions of care, entanglements, and community.
HH: I hope they'll find them a little comical, minimal but effective in demonstrating the subject.
CO: I hope that they will be sensitive to the beauty of gestures of resistance as I was sensitive to them, and the touch of humor through the men of power in suspension ...
MTP: I hope they will see what women can do working within the system, and feel hopeful.
SL: I hope that the viewer appreciates the textures and the details, that they recognize that this work took a lot of time and care. Perhaps they discover a hidden message and can connect to their own ability to vision.
HH: I hope they'll find them a little comical, minimal but effective in demonstrating the subject.
CO: I hope that they will be sensitive to the beauty of gestures of resistance as I was sensitive to them, and the touch of humor through the men of power in suspension ...
MTP: I hope they will see what women can do working within the system, and feel hopeful.
SL: I hope that the viewer appreciates the textures and the details, that they recognize that this work took a lot of time and care. Perhaps they discover a hidden message and can connect to their own ability to vision.
Sarah Laing. Take the Long View, 2024. Fabric, embroidery thread, machine thread. 12 x 24 inches. Available via Artsy.
I am deeply troubled by the attack on women's reproductive rights, the banning of books and educational pedagogy in Florida schools, and the state of gun violence in this country and in Chicago in particular.
Sarah Laing
Do you believe that women do have the power to effect change? How?
MB: I certainly hope we do, but it will require collective action. There can be no apathy or nihilism if we really want to build a different world. The first step is to imagine things can change, the second step is to move toward that change.
HH: Absolutely. I have a hard time believing that the current wars can be ended with Lysistrata's tactic but also know how effective Womanhood can be. (eg. #metoo). There are numerous women (from Rosa Parks to Greta Thunberg ...) who have been powerful enough, even on their own, to initiate big changes in the world. They stand up for themselves and for what they believe in.
CO: I have a little trouble with the word power, moreover I like to make fun of symbols of domination, I prefer the idea that women deserve as much as men to access positions of responsibility, of initiative, and I like to think that it could be a force of listening before acting.
MTP: Yes. By speaking their minds and lifting people up, as Kamala Harris encourages us to do.
SL: Absolutely but the question is will our society ever be able to get behind a female leader collectively.
HH: Absolutely. I have a hard time believing that the current wars can be ended with Lysistrata's tactic but also know how effective Womanhood can be. (eg. #metoo). There are numerous women (from Rosa Parks to Greta Thunberg ...) who have been powerful enough, even on their own, to initiate big changes in the world. They stand up for themselves and for what they believe in.
CO: I have a little trouble with the word power, moreover I like to make fun of symbols of domination, I prefer the idea that women deserve as much as men to access positions of responsibility, of initiative, and I like to think that it could be a force of listening before acting.
MTP: Yes. By speaking their minds and lifting people up, as Kamala Harris encourages us to do.
SL: Absolutely but the question is will our society ever be able to get behind a female leader collectively.
