2022, hand embroidery and quilting on cotton and found fabrics, 18″x 9″
2022, hand embroidery and quilting on cotton and found fabrics, 12″x 13.5″
2022, hand embroidery and quilting on cotton and found fabrics, 9″x 19″
2022, hand embroidery and quilting on cotton and found fabrics, 15″x 15″
My Motivational Me(me) series are quilted illustrations expressing my frustration with workplace exploitation; specifically, myself and the rest of the 50% of contingent faculty in higher education across America. Composed of recycled fabrics from memorable times in my life over the past 20 years, these quilts represent me as an individual with experience and humanity as opposed to being treated like a work horse in my places of employment. Motivational phrases drop off into a pile of tangled mess abruptly interrupting the positive motivational words and instead embracing sarcasm. The thousands of hidden French knots in the background are metaphors for my daily underappreciated labor over the past 18 years as an educator. As I work closely with my union to fight for better working conditions, I don’t want false hopes and pep talks– I want change.