Linda has created a full fashion ensemble from Sue’s fabric. Of the work, she says:
Title: “Myriade”
I have always admired Sue Cavanaugh’s work. I got to know her through a small artist critique group here in Columbus. We shared our work, discussed our stuck points and supported each other’s process.
At the time of my life when I met Sue, I was returning to an earlier practice of using vintage clothing in wall-hung fiber work. My fascination with clothing has been part of my life since I was a child. My grandmother and mother worked in a secondhand clothing store. I often picked out pieces when I visited them at the store and acquired much of my college wardrobe shopping there. Now we call it thrifting.
My return to using clothing coincided with a slowdown of my commission work in metal due to the Covid pandemic. I began experimenting with fiber techniques on thrifted clothing. I felted, dyed, stitched, cut and printed fabric then used it on upcycled clothing.
Sue showed me her technique of running long stitches through old curtains, parachutes and sheets and how she sprayed dye and paint on these pieces to accentuate the manipulation of form and texture. I used some of these techniques as well as countless others on upcycled clothing work, as I remade over 200 denim jackets in 2023.
This piece is a marriage of Sue’s fantastic sculptural threads and my love of making and manipulating clothing. When I first began to engage with the material I chose from Sue’s work, I thought about making a dress, but just making a dress was not enough. I hand sewed the dress over a mannequin leaving much of what made Sue’s work so distinctive as a focal point. But the garment was not complete and needed my energy in it. To stay with the repurposing vibe of the piece I used industrial felt that I had previously reclaimed from a dumpster. I think Sue would have loved me using these scraps to assemble a cape or train for the dress.
The train is an example of quilting small pieces to make a whole. The lengthy fringe is embellished with beads and threads to represent and mark the long hours of crafting such a garment and a way to echo the elaborate stitching on the dress.
This piece could be a ceremonial garment or gown worn by someone with power. It represents the power of a single stitch, the resourcefulness of the artist in finding beauty in materials that others might discard, and the artistry of the feminine hand.
