To REND, according to the dictionary, is to split or tear apart by force; to tear (the hair or clothing) as a sign of anger, grief or despair; or to remove from place by force. On so many levels, that had to be the title of this show. While there is joy and tenderness in so many of the memories revealed through the work process, much of the recent work was done under extremely difficult personal circumstances as it simultaneously confronted horrific global and national circumstances. Most of the fabrics in the work, especially the woven work in this show, were somewhat violently torn rather than carefully cut, an act of rending in response to 'heartrending' events. I've worked on these pieces while sitting for hours in the oncology infusion chair, while reeling from the effects of chemotherapy, and while taking in world news too heavy to bear.

 

The act of weaving might be my hopeful attempt to gently bring together and create anew from the disparate ideologies and cultures that clash and create so much discord in this world. There is so much metaphor associated with the act of weaving. The loom itself is an object of interconnectedness - with the warp threads remaining rigid and structural (as in societal structures), and the weft threads having more freedom and agency to break structure and create new patterns. The act of weaving is such a meditative one for me. The bringing together of different fabric weights, colors, textures and prints creates a raw beauty that surprises me and that I love. The decisions at each stage, about divisions, connections, similarities, differences were intuitive, but like the stitched pieces, intentional in the moment - and very story driven. The loose ends create their own meanings, and somehow feel full of possibility to me.

 

The conversations between pieces in this show are similar to what happens on my studio wall as I look for threads and relationships and continually move things around to find them. There are many of my references, inspirations, research materials, physical materials, and by-products included as part of the 'thread' that makes up this installation - this peek into my restless brain. And to the intensity and gentleness of the story that a piece of cloth can reveal.

 

While the show is called REND, the hopefulness of MEND is what keeps me going. To quote expert mender Celia Pym, "Mending is always in response to a problem. The damage leads and the mending follows. ......Mending work builds on what is left behind. It's not replacing, or remaking, or cutting apart and putting back together, instead it is slow work that makes things better. It conjures an unhurried recovery or change... Mending layers on top of what was already there, stitching the damage into the story of cloth, and like a scar on the human body it tells a story worthy of our attention."

 

​-Jill Phillips