Mary
Pal
Juried Artist Member (JAM)
Location
Victoria BC
Canada
Region
Artist Statement
My process involves saturating cheesecloth with adhesive and creating sculptural forms that are ultimately machine-stitched to a background textile. Cheesecloth for me represents the very essence of textiles – the most minimal configuration of warp and weft. Its fluidity permits me to control opacity, to depict light and transparency, to add texture and colour, and to play with chiaroscuro.
When my work is exhibited, it invariably has a push-pull impact on gallery attendees. From afar, a viewer might be intrigued by a first impression of the imagery of the work and drawn to examine the texture up close, entering a zone of intimacy, a private yet shared space. Once there, they experience a surprising perspective shift – at that proximity, the subject disappears, replaced by the complex interweaving of thread on cloth, so mesmerizing they are invariably tempted to reach out and touch it.
When my work is exhibited, it invariably has a push-pull impact on gallery attendees. From afar, a viewer might be intrigued by a first impression of the imagery of the work and drawn to examine the texture up close, entering a zone of intimacy, a private yet shared space. Once there, they experience a surprising perspective shift – at that proximity, the subject disappears, replaced by the complex interweaving of thread on cloth, so mesmerizing they are invariably tempted to reach out and touch it.
