Artist of the Week: Diane Savona

Domestic Armor 

Diane Savona is a textile and fiber artist who uncovers and exalts the domestic handiwork of the past in her own soft sculpture and 2 dimensional work. People don't mend things anymore, they don't learn complicated embroidery techniques from their mothers, or lacemaking at their grandmothers' knees. Diane exhumes these forgotten practices and artifacts,  garments that were made to last and be passed down from generation to generation, and reemphasizes their worth by deconstructing and repurposing the pieces into something that a new generation can relate to. You can see her hand in every scrap she sews together, and the hands of every woman who darned before her, as if she is holding a magnifying glass up to each French knot and split stitch detail. I especially appreciate the idea of pot holders and aprons as protection and armor. She takes these kitchen garments and tools and elevates them to the level of self-defense for women in the face of their always challenging everyday battles.

Overgrown Fossil, 68"x 49"

Domestic Markings, 32.5"x 20"

Preserved corsets and girdles from Soft-Bodied Specimens

First Apron Excavation, 50"x 33"

Exhibition photograph from her solo show Closet Archeology at The Hermitage Museum in 2010

All images courtesy of the artist's website: www.dianesavonaart.com

- Cathleen