Lessons of Empathy in Wonderland

Affiliate
Exhibition

Fiber artist Ann Clarke of Syracuse creates monumental rugs that are inspired by caring for her 100-year-old mother, who suffers from Alzheimer’s disease. Clarke is her sole source of support.

“Betty remains physically robust, but her mind is ravaged by dementia,” Clarke said. “For her, shifting shards of her life stick and unstick, fold and reform resulting in reconstructed narratives that both affirm and challenge my understandings.”

Her current work is “History Lessons,” a series of large-scale rugs that she knits in sections that are sew together by hand and then processed in her washing machine. Pieces from Clarke’s “Portal” and “Forms” series will also be on display.

The pieces incorporate images and text in layers that sometimes overlap each other. Clarke’s work reflects how she processes her mother’s disease “because it’s hard and complicated. I have one piece called ‘Mother and Child’ where I am both the mother and the child, and she is both the mother and the child.”

Gravity

Ann Clarke - Gravity

 

More Details

 

Location
Auburn, New York
Venue Info

Schweinfurth Art Center
205 Genesee St. 
Auburn, NY 13021
United States
315-255-1553