stitched art | Feng Shui By Fishgirl

'Multicolor VOCHO VW Beetle Sedan Quilt' by Margarita Cabrera

I’m a very visual person and am attracted to color as an artist. But as a feng shui expert I am also very attracted to symbolism and the energetic power that symbols hold for all of us, much of it subliminally. Today I saw an exhibition at SECCA in Winston-Salem, NC by artist/activist Margarita Cabrera. Her message is a deeply political commentary on our disposable society, focusing on the plight of immigrants. (click the link to SECCA to find out more about Cabrera’s work). She creates her art out of materials such as the vinyl fabric shown here. I loved the way the artist incorporates sewing into the work and leaves the stitched ends to hang loose instead of snipping them off. Recently I viewed some of Andy Warhol’s work where he’d stitched four photos together the same way and also left dangling threads. Those ‘loose ends’ invite the viewer in to complete the experience. I’ve been seeing a lot of fiber arts lately, too, that make me want to drag out my old sewing machine and set it up in my art studio.