39"h x 34"l x 3"d - 2006
As a mother, the concept of safety blankets and placebos hold a lot appeal. A spritz of peppermint foot spray to the back of a pillow can be effectively rebranded as 'good dream spray,' and earn you a full night of sleep. But as a citizen, it has been with anger and dismay that I watched my nation become seduced by the promise of a safety blanket when true security is a more nuanced affair. There is a popular, though disproved story, that tells of quilts being used to guide slaves in the underground railroad. On their face those quilts were benign. Likewise, these pieces originally based on quilts, are at first glance genial. A sweet sampler, quaint and a bit old fashioned. But a deeper look reveals word play, and imagery meant to convey the complexity of national issues and personal relationships. These pieces were made during George W Bush's tenure, and I removed the W from my alphabet in silent disobedience back when it was extremely unpopular to express any dissent to the war..
30"h x 28.5"l x 3"d- 2006
19"h x 24.5"l x 2.5"d - 2007
17"h x 23.5"l x 25"d 2009
29"h x 23"l x 2.5"d - 2007
36"h x 37"l x 3"d - 2006