REATTACH ME TO MY BODY is an examination in disembodiment and the

weaving together of fragmented experiences in contemporary life. Drawing on the tactile

tradition of quiltmaking, often held as symbols of comfort, storytelling and unity, the

works are contrasted with fragmented digital images and disembodied objects. The

quilt’s slow paced physicality contradicts the disjointed, fast moving virtual spaces we

navigate, spaces often shaped by a surreal, artificial world. Targeted internet ads aimed

to dehumanize physical interactions take their place next to the exaggerated world of

B-horror movie imagery. In horror movies disembodiment and body

gore serve as visceral metaphors for the breakdown of identity, where the separation of

the body becomes a symbol for the loss of control, agency and the fear of the unknown.

Intersecting ideas between disembodiment and embodiment include the visualisation of

injury or pain and questions the sometimes inescapability of the body. These media

forms reflect the unbalanced connection to our unified selves. The quilts themselves,

taken from their familiar context and turned to disembodied art objects.

Through the mediums of paint, textiles, collage, and assemblage, I create brightly colored,

large-scale radical quilts that aim to challenge traditional boundaries of quilt making and

abstraction. I use collage to confront, rearrange, and distort images and materials,

exposing underlying societal contradictions. While traditional quilt block patterns offer

coherence through repetition, the integration of found objects, molded plastics, and

clothing creates intersections that question the tension between the eternal and the

ephemeral. The vivid colors serve to immediately captivate the viewer, while the printed

imagery encourages a closer examination. Humor functions as an entry point, allowing

a way to engage with the often sharp edged subject matter while providing a layer of

distance and accessibility between the viewer and the themes explored.

These works are a layered amalgamation of personal events that led to their creation

and led to a personal quest to reconnect with my own practice. After graduating from

grad school, I felt a profound disconnect between my mind and body—the sharp

academic reasoning for art making and my lifelong intuition felt completely severed. A

week after graduation, I underwent major foot surgery, hoping it would give me time to

reflect on my experiences. Instead, I found myself trapped in my body and home,

consumed by pain and the draining recovery process. It had the opposite effect I hoped

for—I was bound to my body. Once I regained my footing, I began making art, but the

voices from school returned, making it difficult to escape the rigid academic thought

process. Now, I was bound to my mind. These quilts represent my effort to merge the

mind and body, to stop seeing them as severed entities and reconnect them as one.

Along the way, I’ve explored deeper sociological ideas of disembodiment—personally, in

art making, in social life, in our virtual landscapes, and in pop culture—considering

the many ways we experience disconnection in today’s world.