Laurel
Izard
Juried Artist Member (JAM)
Location
Michigan City, IN
United States
Artist Statement
Making art, for me, is both a meditation and dialogue with the materials and the elements of art. I make art of some kind every day because it feeds me emotionally and spiritually.
My fascination with sewing and textiles started as early as I could hold a needle, but I never really considered it as my main art-making material until 2011. The Pandemic has been the time of the quilt as I have gathered vintage quilt tops and created many art quilts that express my feelings about the state of the world.
A strong theme in most of my quilts is messages about social justice, culture, and the environment. This message depends on contrast, such as the play between cute little teddy bears with a real bear, nursery rhymes and nuclear bombs, or clowns and toy soldiers. I’m exploring how icons and images we surround children with have helped to define who we are and how we are expected to move through adulthood, and I am inviting viewers to take a fresh look at this imagery.
My fascination with sewing and textiles started as early as I could hold a needle, but I never really considered it as my main art-making material until 2011. The Pandemic has been the time of the quilt as I have gathered vintage quilt tops and created many art quilts that express my feelings about the state of the world.
A strong theme in most of my quilts is messages about social justice, culture, and the environment. This message depends on contrast, such as the play between cute little teddy bears with a real bear, nursery rhymes and nuclear bombs, or clowns and toy soldiers. I’m exploring how icons and images we surround children with have helped to define who we are and how we are expected to move through adulthood, and I am inviting viewers to take a fresh look at this imagery.
