Winnie van der Rijn
Hanging On By A Thread / Coming Apart At The Seams (2020)
thread (fabric created and then dissolved leaving thread skeleton)
60 x 36 in.
NFS
The presidential election of 2016 served as a critical moment in restructuring and politicizing my artwork, which has increasingly addressed issues of power, democracy, equality and gender. Growing up in a military family, and later graduating from U.C. Berkeley with a degree in sociology and a deep interest in propaganda, I have long struggled with ideas of patriotism and allegiance. Yet due to the rise of the current commander-in-chief, I can no longer afford to stay silent and blend in—no one can. We must reassess our allegiances and the symbols that bind us together. In 2020, I’m voting for economic equality. I’m voting for immigration rights. More than anything, I’m voting for change.
© Winnie van der Rijn