Sad Bags (2017-18) 166”x72”x120” leather, wool, sisal rope, hemp twine

All Images: Jerry Mathiason

The exploration of new materials is exhilarating. This was a time of great experimentation. I hd been introduced to new fiber techniques such as large scale knitting and crochet and had just started exploring the remarkable capabilities of over-beaten abaca paper forming.

Sad Bags emerged after my mother had moved to a memory care facility near my home. When Anna arrived the doctors treated for her depression. At the age of 91, thanks to the help of medication, she became a happy person.

Sad Bags is an expression of the grief I experienced in realizing how different our home life could have been if only my mother had been treated earlier for her depression. 

Circuits was part of that discovery, combining fiber techniques with abaca paper, making way for my current work.