ARTIST STATEMENT
This body of work, centered around a life-sized needle-felted wolf shrouded in a woolen “fleece, began to take shape in February of 2025 in an effort to make sense of the rapidly shifting political climate. The bold patterning of the wolf’s “fleece” calls to mind the dazzle camouflage implemented during the first World War. This unconventional camouflage technique was used not to conceal – but to confuse. With bright colors and optical patterns, it succeeded in disorienting the opposition who struggled to discern a ship’s position and trajectory because of the disruption of traditional visual reference points.
The wolf was fabricated with a densely felted polyester fiber core, with natural wool felted on its outermost layers. The “fleeces” are cut from military surplus blankets – the coarse, army-green wool providing a canvas for swaths of patriotic stripes and shaggy fringes, with beads, sequins, and fake gold adornments creating a glut of ostentatious sparkle and distraction.
In this era where deep fakes, AI slop, misinformation, and blatant lies have muddied the waters of reality, it has become increasingly difficult to suss out fact from fiction or to predict what might be lurking beyond the horizon. With the dizzying pace of the news cycle and the echo chambers of algorithms, we find ourselves in a disarming whirlwind of confusion and distraction. Through this work, viewers are invited to reflect on the wolves in our midst that may seek to disorient and divide us.
ABOUT THE ARTIST
Emily Weddle is a mixed media fiber artist based in Marquette, Michigan. She earned a BFA in Intermedia Art and BA in Art History from Arizona State University where she developed an interest in conceptual art, performance, and installation. Her previous work has explored themes of material excess and the passage of time within the framework of domesticity and motherhood. Her most recent work seeks to explore themes related to distortion, distraction, and deception. She is the 2024 recipient of the Juror’s Choice Award for the North of the 45th regional juried exhibition at the DeVos Art Museum at Northern Michigan University. Her work has been exhibited in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula where she lives with her husband and two children. Emily has taught youth art workshops and is an active member of the Upper Peninsula’s homeschool community, coordinating learning opportunities and art experiences that foster curiosity and creative growth.
© Emily Weddle