STATEMENT
I believe in second chances.
My work offers second chances to pushed-aside materials and objects, bearing witness to that which is useless, invisible, or for those who cannot come forward for themselves. My own loss and trauma draw me to this practice and these materials. The theft of a body of work in 2019 emotionally crippled me for a time. As I emerged in 2021 I found solace in not only resurrecting objects from the past but seriously addressing my own history in an open and honest manner. I resonate with these pushed aside and discarded items because I understand useless; a creator without creations, forced to address long-term unresolved damage. The works are me, but they are also a bit of everyone who struggles.
Each piece begins with reclaimed objects that are no longer useful for their intended purpose, discarded or buried in deep corners of closets and storage units. Presented as sculptural mixed media, each one is driven by the nature of its source material. I join each item’s history with a new future. By altering these objects, I retell their story. The Walking Canes are in direct response to my sister’s Parkinson’s while the Top Hat speaks to my first artistic inspiration – my grandfather.
From tiny to enormous, scale is a key factor in the work. The challenge of scale breaks expectations for any given object, offering altered perspective. Highly representational tiny scale model environments are contained inside objects once precious and defining to their owners, such as a pan, a shoe, or a toilet. Additional near-exact-replica scale pieces address topics such as challenged mobility, as in my Walking Canes constructed of spiraling staircases. Discarded bedlinens, pillowcases, rags, and dish towels are morphed into large scale pieces. The hand embroidery harkens to the history of women’s work.
The work prods the viewer to lend their own experience to a narrative that is constructed within each piece. Wonder and beauty is contained in each work, inviting the viewer to come close, and they also allow space for hard discussions of women’s place, disease, aging, reproductive rights, abuse, mental illness, and assault. Each piece offers viewer connection to their own moment of introspection, creating space for deeper societal and cultural discussions.
c Joanne Steinhardt 2024