Artist Information for Susan Lenz
Using a needle and thread for self-expression, I work to create art that reflects my interest in the concept of time. Memory, universal mortality, and personal legacy are central themes. Vintage and recycled materials are combined with meticulous handwork. Stitched text and free motion machine embroidery add visual and emotional layers. Work is often exhibited in an installation format in order to better communicate message through an accessible atmosphere. I am drawn to textiles for their tactile qualities and often make work that is meant to touch and be touched. Images scroll down to view allThreads: Gathering My ThoughtsFlexible   This work explores an ongoing engagement - and entanglement - with fibers. The massive accumulation of thread both informs and confounds, acting as a labyrinth of the human mind, logically connected to everyday definitions and irrationally linked to the failures of memory, aging, and a world interwoven with threads. The installation seeks to both occupy and obstruct space using brightly colored fibers in new ways. Loss InstallationFlexible   Loss is an expression of motherhood whether experienced as a miscarriage, abortion, the result of estrangement, the "Empty Nest" syndrome, or by death itself. Celestial Orbs, InstallationFlexible   This installation was inspired by the 2017 total solar eclipse and Milky Way night skys experienced while at PLAYA, an art residency in the remote Oregon Outback. The installation was warmly received during a solo show at Waterworks Visual Arts Center, a regional museum in Salisbury, NC and was recreated at ArtFiels 2018, a 10-day festival/competition in South Carolina. Saint Anastasia30" x 42"   Anastasia spread love everywhere. She said "I Love You" in place of "good-bye". In the summer of 2016, Anastasia faced cancer with an amazing dignity, grace, and ethereal spirit. She shared this last journey on social media, teaching friends and admirers how to live while dying and how to die while living. She posed for this icon and suggested the words. I began stitching on the day she died but her words will live forever. Roadside Madonna26" x 22"   Highway markers for accident victims are common all over the world. In the Southwest of the USA, however, some are graced by the Virgin of Guadalupe. These special sites seem to attract prayer and remind drivers to be alert while behind the wheel. |