Tanya Gill
Sub-straight (Embedded Series) (2019)
repurposed fabric with thread
8.25 x 12 in. | $1,100
We are all in a constant state of adjusting, adapting, and remaking ourselves. We do so in order to live with others and adapt to the world around us. Every adaptation is woven into ourselves, changing us in the process. These adjustments become part of who we are: a revised self. Yet not all adaptations are seamless. Often, they leave an imprint. In my work, I seek to visually articulate these imprints. Using darning, or embedded thread, I bring together two different surfaces. In each piece, I fill a hole or gap in the original material. In doing so, two pieces are joined to make a unified surface.
In the “Embedded” series, my materials are thread and found fabric. The imagery is homelike structures extracted from observational drawings. In all of my works, the fabric is disturbed yet repaired. In the “Embedded” series, thread is forced though fabric, causing a disturbance but at the same time filling a created gap. The forced thread forms a drawing within the fabric, as opposed to existing on top of the fabric as in traditional embroidery. I utilize fabric because of its inherent intimacy. Fabric is a part in our everyday life, naturally referencing the body.
I strive for my work to emit grace and respect for materials.
© Tanya Gill