Catherine Cella Neapolitan

Home Sick
collage
12 x 16 x 1 in.

This piece began with happenstance ~ in experimenting with transfer techniques, I noticed that the curvature of the Little Mermaid statue in Copenhagen fit, like a puzzle, with that of the west coast of the Americas in this vintage map. Further fitting is the fact that the demeanor of the mermaid ~ of homesickness (for the sea) ~ dovetails with the reality that our home (planet Earth) is, indeed, sick.

With this synchronicity in mind, I began to clip relevant headlines and soon realized that they came all too frequently. “Home Sick” is all too true. Bringing this collage together was challenging ~ on many levels, including material and philosophical ~ yet quite fulfilling.

The final act in the creation of “Home Sick” was the placement of the vintage abalone button. I love that its yin-yang pattern resembles that of land and sea on the Earth. Sewing button to canvas, I could not help but feel the tug of ancient arts and wonder how women, traditionally home-makers, can now become home-healers.

© Catherine Cella Neapolitan