The Legend of Kunibiki at O'Hanlon Center For the Arts through April 2013

The NEW fabrics are a hit!  People look at them and ponder if they are made out of silk.  At the Roundtable artist talk, the Facilitator at O'Hanlon Center For the Arts asked me why I called the kimono pictured here "The Legend of Kunibiki".  I shared the Creation story of how the god Yatsukomeizuomozunu saw that after the gods had created the Land of Izumo, now known as Japan,  that it was too small.  He used a plow and a rope to pull other pieces of land together, the way the mixed media act as a substrate to hold the colorants in the kimonos I create.  I loved how the accidental cracks are a metaphor for the land in the Creation Story and found my process to be consistent with the myth. 

Elise with "The Legend of Kunibiki", Mixed Media, 2013

"GARB-age" at Union Bank and Corporate Headquarters in San Francisco

Alexandra Lee Cefalo of ALC Designs curated my first solo show in San Francisco.  Union Bank Corporate Headquarters at 400 California Street, is the perfect location for a variety of artworks, including "Walking on Eggshells", a wearable shell dress made out of eggshells, vinyl and Velcro; "Sonic Spill" made out of many free-form crocheted and knitted audiocassette tape; and "Trashionista", an Elvis jumpsuit made out of white glad trash bags created with custom appliques made with thousands of yards of machine embroidery thread.  


Project GREEN Runway Collection, plastic bags and bubblewrap, 2012
 

"Sonic Spill", audiocassette tape, 2013

"Walking on Eggshells", eggshells, vinyl and Velcro, 2008



Trashionista, heat-fused Glad trash bags, 2011 (photo by Eduardo)



Trashionista, heat-fused Glad trash bags, 2011 (photo by Eduardo)

Upon seeing the beautiful large plate glass windows, with abundant South light, I created my new body of work for the show.  The new fabric was inspired by my investigation of mixed media in Petri dishes.  "Water", a non-wearable kimono, has folks all a-buzz in the heart of the Financial District, just a few blocks from the iconic Trans America Building. 



"Water", mixed media, 2013



















The Project GREEN Runway collection grew for this show, with new historical pieces, of an ensemble called, "Gone With the Wind", featuring an 1865 styled dress and suit inspired by Scarlett O'Hara and Rhett Butler, respectively.  Both are made out of green plastic SF Chronicle newspaper bags and bright blue plastic New York Times bags.   





Scarlett O'Hara, plastic bags, 2013

 



Gone With the Wind, plastic bags, 2013
 

Rhett Butler, plastic bags, 2013



Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend and Bubblelicious, bubblewrap, 2011