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Following is an interview with curator
Samantha Levin of Anagnorisis Fine Art, NYC
The Healing Sutras: the exquisite painterly embroidery of
Erin Endicott.
A unique breed of soft sculpture, Erin utilizes stitching
and ink to “draw” on found objects – things that
hold power because of their age and anthropomorphic wisdom. Erin’s
Healing Sutras tell stories of pain remembered and solace found.
They indicate hope and speak of feminine patience evidenced by the
painstakingly small stitches that create flowing abstract shapes.
Erin spent time in Scotland studying textile design
and finished her fine art education in Philadelphia where she currently
resides. An art teacher for many years, she recently decided to
take time off to focus her attention completely on her art career.
So intrigued by her work, I asked her about the meaning
behind the title she chose for the exhibit. I was wondering what
these intimate objects heal and where their sources lie.
Erin Endicott: To stitch; a thread or line
that holds things together – this is the literal translation
of the ancient Sanskrit word “sutra”. The “Healing
Sutras” grew out of years of work examining psychological wounds
(mainly my own), their origins and how they insinuate themselves
into our lives. I’m particularly intrigued by the concept of
inherited wounds, specific patterns, behaviors, reactions, that
we are born with – already seeded into our psyche at birth.
So I imagine that this little ”seed” attracts negativity
(like attracts like), sort of a little pearl slowly growing until
we end up with a dense area of negative energy built up in our physical
bodies. By bringing these dark areas into the light, by making them
visible, I think we can heal these wounds. Some people talk through
their issues to bring healing, some write them out to shed light
on them , I choose to make them into visible, visceral objects.
All of the “Healing Sutras” are on vintage
fabric that has been passed down from women in my family. My history
is literally woven into these garments. The initial marks of the
“wounds” are created by staining the fabric with walnut
ink. I love using this natural dye for the subtle color variations
and the warm earthy tones. Ink on fabric has a mind of it’s
own – it takes the control away from me and does it’s
own thing. It is magical to drop the ink onto damp fabric and literally
watch the “wound” grow and take shape before my eyes.
This has been difficult for me – the letting go of the outcome
and trusting in the process – it’s quite the opposite
of the degree of control I have over the stitching. The organic
shapes created by the walnut ink are a sort of map for me, the variations
of tone and shape setting the tone for the piece.
The stitching, the meditative process of it, is where
i think the real healing comes in for me. I come from a more “Fine
Art” background- drawing always being a real passion - but
I was never able to truly capture the essence of what I was trying
to say until I began exploring this really process oriented work.
To me these are a type of drawing – REALLY slow, deliberate
drawings!
I could go on forever about the symbolism of the marks
– the vein/roots, the cellular/seed shapes, the metaphor of
the dress as skin, etc… There are so many layers of meaning
in this work. I can’t even keep it all straight in my own mind
let alone verbalize it! So it comes down to the stitches. One stitch
at a time, hour after hour… this is where the healing lies.
SL: In my own artwork, I like to use objects
I’ve found in various places. Many of them were found in the
homes of my family members and hold strong sentimental value. Many
people ask me how I could part with such a thing should I sell a
work of art that has roots in my family. How would you answer that
question?
EE: I feel as if I am giving these vintage
fabrics new life, a sort of re-birth as a piece of art. Most of
the women in my family (including me) have “stashes” –
that is, boxes and boxes of fabric we have collected over the years
– hiding under beds and in closets. I remember looking through
boxes of beautiful cloth that was stored under my Grandmother’s
bed and I remember plenty of trips to the fabric store to buy more!!
I inherited the love of textiles and have been collecting interesting
fabrics and vintage linens since I was a teenager, and most of them
are packed away in boxes, never to see the light of day! And just
as my stitching brings my “wounds” to life, my stitching
brings new life to beautiful pieces of cloth. I think it is important
to share our knowledge and treasures with the world, and if someone
is so moved by my work that they would like to own it, then I can
with good conscience give up one of my “babies”! It still
pulls at my heart to let a piece go, but maybe this is the final
step in the “healing” work of these pieces?!
Here is a link to Anagnorisis' site and the original
interview
http://artanagnorisis.wordpress.com/2010/09/20/to-stitch-is-to-heal-erin-endicotts-healing-sutras/
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