In this exhibit:
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Gastric Crochet; polyester ric rac; 3" x 7" x 5" |
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Dapper Crochet; men's ties; 11" x 14" x 15" |
| Artist's statement | Collecting is part of the American culture. It is implicit within our society. The success of such television shows as the "Antique Road Show" caters to this phenomenon. Somehow, we have equated "stuff" with purpose. This is the basis for a series of work I call "Recollections -- collections of a lifetime found on eBay." For the past year I have been acquiring items on the online marketplace called eBay. Mose of these items are collections individuals have acquired over time. I find it interesting that people spend such time and effort on collections and that they are willing to part with them so easily on eBay. Some of these items are intriguing because they cause you to ask why the stuff was collected in the first place, like the box of white plastic rings. What were they for? How did this person end up with 5,000 of them and why sell it on eBay? With some of the materials, the purpose is more obvious, like in the case of a swizzle stick collection. If you are on vacation, what better souvenir? Expecially if you paid $5.00 for the dring, you might as well take the stir stick. But, what happens when grandma dies? We all might like the china, but the stir stick collection? These are just a few of the interesting questions you get when you try to guess why people collect things and what to do with them when they are done. These pieces each have many stories to tell. This series explores the human need to collect and explores what our collections say about us. |
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About the artist |
Elizabeth Lundberg Morisette is a 1994 graduate of North Carolina State University School of Design. In the years since graduation she has had many shows and honors. In 1996 she was a finalist in the North Carolina Artist exhibit at the North Carolina Museum of Art. She also received an Emerging artist grant from the Central Piedmont Arts council, that same year. She has been a participant in many group shows, the most recent being "Handcrafted", an exhibit of Contemporary Craft at the Rocky Mount Art Center in Rocky Mount, North Carolina. Morisette's weaving, "Webster" won second prize in this exhibit. She has had several solo shows with the series "Lifesavers: Collections of a Lifetime Found on ebay" "My work is based on memories and feelings that can be conveyed using fabric." She uses fabric that has had previous lives. This adds texture to her work by providing buttons, zippers and other clues to the viewer. "I organize these fabrics by using fields of color, or abstract shapes." By weaving on a large frame loom, she feels a connection to her work by handling the fabric and knowing its past. Often, these pieces are her personal "recycled" clothing. She has had the opportunity on several occasions to do commission pieces using the clients' memories and fabrics. This is pure pleasure for Morisette. For more than five years, her work reflected abstract portraits. Called "People Totems" she has been working on this series almost exclusively since she moved to the DC metro area. These "people" portray figures without arms in an elongated fashion. Friends, family, famous people and total strangers, inspire "People Totems". Anyone is fair game. She intends to carry this series to total 200 pieces. Perhaps more, if her inspiration continues. Most recently, Morisette has embarked on a series that focuses on everyday objects, collections even. This series, called "Life Savers" Includes materials found almost exclusively on ebay. Utilizing collections gathered throughout lifetimes, these pieces are whimsical in nature including objects such as keychains, buttons, and paperclips. This series is highly tactile and has many layers of stories and meaning. This work is currently on exhibit at: The Black Rock Center for the Arts, Germantown, MD; The Weinberg Center, Frederick, MD; The Textile Center of Minnesota; and Womanmade Gallery, Chicago,IL. For more information about her artwork, please visit her rugworks website. |