FERAL LACES AND OFF THE WALL DOILIES
Sacristy Gallery
March 21, 2025 - May 9, 2025
The word ‘thread’ is often used to represent continuity - of an idea, a theme, a life. The simple repetitive action of interlocking threads and joining pieces to create something that is handed down among generations, chronicles the continuum of life. For Louise Pappageorge, her proclaimed “obsessive relationship” with the making of cloth and lace structures blossomed in her childhood through skills she learned from her grandmother and mother. Pappageorge states: “The drawing of threads connects me across shared generational labors to the greater multigenerational consciousness of womankind, whose structures have preserved humanity through the creation of magnificent cloths.”
In Feral Laces and Off the Wall Doilies, Pappageorge’s works of found and newly created lace and crochet structures initiate a visual rebellion, as she investigates the realms of feminism through artistic exploration that dismantles preconceived boundaries while challenging the traditional demarcation between craft and fine art. In a gender-biased society, craft-based work often tied to women is dismissed as merely functional or decorative, while ‘fine art’ disproportionately celebrates creations by white male artists.
Combining lace, knitted, and crocheted materials with gleaming metal leaf and patinated finishes, Pappageorge’s artwork suggests fine sculptural works, as if created from cast metal. In their final form her sculpture departs from the ethereal and fragile nature of lace structures, delicately born from the hands of women throughout time. Instead, they become dynamic expressions of contradiction and embody the multifaceted nature of “women’s work” and artistic creation. With architecture as a backdrop, these fabrics break free from the constraints of tradition, turn feral and transcend conventional boundaries. Viewers are invited into an unfamiliar dimension where the intricacies of lace and crochet unfold, while straying from the stigma that often relegates utilitarian creations to the periphery. In this merger of materials, these undomesticated laces become seductive adorations of long held traditions and the labors of women over the millennia.
RSVP for the opening reception on Friday, March 21 from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the link below:
Click HERE for more information on gallery hours and private appointments.
FERAL LACES AND OFF THE WALL DOILIES
Sacristy Gallery
March 21, 2025 - May 9, 2025
The word ‘thread’ is often used to represent continuity - of an idea, a theme, a life. The simple repetitive action of interlocking threads and joining pieces to create something that is handed down among generations, chronicles the continuum of life. For Louise Pappageorge, her proclaimed “obsessive relationship” with the making of cloth and lace structures blossomed in her childhood through skills she learned from her grandmother and mother. Pappageorge states: “The drawing of threads connects me across shared generational labors to the greater multigenerational consciousness of womankind, whose structures have preserved humanity through the creation of magnificent cloths.”
In Feral Laces and Off the Wall Doilies, Pappageorge’s works of found and newly created lace and crochet structures initiate a visual rebellion, as she investigates the realms of feminism through artistic exploration that dismantles preconceived boundaries while challenging the traditional demarcation between craft and fine art. In a gender-biased society, craft-based work often tied to women is dismissed as merely functional or decorative, while ‘fine art’ disproportionately celebrates creations by white male artists.
Combining lace, knitted, and crocheted materials with gleaming metal leaf and patinated finishes, Pappageorge’s artwork suggests fine sculptural works, as if created from cast metal. In their final form her sculpture departs from the ethereal and fragile nature of lace structures, delicately born from the hands of women throughout time. Instead, they become dynamic expressions of contradiction and embody the multifaceted nature of “women’s work” and artistic creation. With architecture as a backdrop, these fabrics break free from the constraints of tradition, turn feral and transcend conventional boundaries. Viewers are invited into an unfamiliar dimension where the intricacies of lace and crochet unfold, while straying from the stigma that often relegates utilitarian creations to the periphery. In this merger of materials, these undomesticated laces become seductive adorations of long held traditions and the labors of women over the millennia.
RSVP for the opening reception on Friday, March 21 from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the link below:
Click HERE for more information on gallery hours and private appointments.
Louise Pappageorge is a native of Chicago and a graduate of the School of the Art Institute, Chicago. Her work is included in many national and international private and corporate collections including the City of Chicago Merlo Library. Publications include New City Chicago, American Craft, Fiber Arts, Fiber Arts Now and Home magazines. She currently resides in Michigan and Chicago.
Louise's artistic journey is deeply rooted in her formative years spent honing the techniques of knitting, sewing, and stitching under the guidance of her grandmother and mother. This familial connection serves as a source of inspiration for her, and she continues to explore these traditional crafts as her primary means of artistic expression. The use of these techniques transcends artistic endeavors and becomes a form of artistic feminism. She sees a profound connection to the continuum of women's work, recognizing the artistic expression that arises from necessity. Her goal is to elevate these often-overlooked craft techniques, creating tributes to the domestic skills she cultivated during her upbringing.
Her artwork THE GLOAMING is included in the 2024 issue of Fiber Arts Now. This recognition highlights the significance of her work within the broader artistic community, acknowledging the innovation she brings to the intersection of traditional crafts and contemporary sculpture.
Louise Pappageorge is a native of Chicago and a graduate of the School of the Art Institute, Chicago. Her work is included in many national and international private and corporate collections including the City of Chicago Merlo Library. Publications include New City Chicago, American Craft, Fiber Arts, Fiber Arts Now and Home magazines. She currently resides in Michigan and Chicago.
Louise's artistic journey is deeply rooted in her formative years spent honing the techniques of knitting, sewing, and stitching under the guidance of her grandmother and mother. This familial connection serves as a source of inspiration for her, and she continues to explore these traditional crafts as her primary means of artistic expression. The use of these techniques transcends artistic endeavors and becomes a form of artistic feminism. She sees a profound connection to the continuum of women's work, recognizing the artistic expression that arises from necessity. Her goal is to elevate these often-overlooked craft techniques, creating tributes to the domestic skills she cultivated during her upbringing.
Her artwork THE GLOAMING is included in the 2024 issue of Fiber Arts Now. This recognition highlights the significance of her work within the broader artistic community, acknowledging the innovation she brings to the intersection of traditional crafts and contemporary sculpture.
