Spring/Summer 2021
Art & Photography
George L. Stein
About even better [than the real thing]: Art imitates nature, commerce just imitates. This one is about artificial beauty.
K. Johnson Bowles
From Veronica's Cloths:
You Thought You Left the South
About Veronica's Cloths - While this body of work is not about a particular religious belief or cannon, the series title takes its name from the legend of St. Veronica. It is said Veronica wiped Christ’s face with her veil during his journey carrying the cross. The image of his face miraculously left an impression on the cloth. The series Veronica’s Cloths explores the residual nature of physical and emotional trauma.
Each work is a collage assembled on a vintage handkerchief in a manner purposefully pointing to that which is “grandmotherly,” wise, and reflective. The unexpected juxtapositions of familiar materials, emotionally charged images, and menacing objects (insects, spiders, snakes) are designed to attract and repel the viewer – an uncanny valley.
The works are informed by my heritage as an Irish-American (non-practicing) Roman Catholic growing up in the South and my beliefs in feminism, secular humanism, and social justice. Writings on phenomenology, ontology, hauntology, and semiotics provide theoretical underpinnings.
Learn more about the artist's Veronica's Cloths series