Hole in my Heart, too
Jeanmarie Nutt
Artist Statement:
“ My art is an outward manifestation of an inward struggle to come to terms with the lingering influences of family dynamics, the church, and the conservative culture of the Deep South. My work is personal, as it often reveals the shadow side of my psyche, with its recurring themes of confusion, perfectionism, melancholy, ambiguity, anxiety, and hope.
In my current work, I use skills I learned as a young girl – sewing, embroidery, and appliqué. Organza, paper, and embroidery floss are my primary materials. Translucent materials, repetitive elements, and meticulous hand stitching are my signatures. The paper elements are cut from digitally altered photographs from my childhood and hand stitched to an organza base such as book pages or a handmade child’s dress. The translucence of organza symbolizes imperfect perception, distorted memory, purposeful obscuration of truth, and tentatively revealed secrets. A muted palette reinforces this meaning.”
My interpretation:
The holes in the heart in this piece represent the pain in the heart. The arrangement of the many different girls together and the title of the piece, "My Heart Has Holes Too", expresses a sense of empathy, a sense of comfort in knowing that you are not alone in feeling very hurt at this time. The curved, irregular embroidery threads may represent the anxiety and confusion in a person's mind.
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