October 7-30, 2022

Hand-me-downs is a solo exhibition satirizing the normalization of the narcissistic narrative. By definition, hand-me-downs are “things, especially clothes, which have been used by someone else before you and have been given to you for your use.” As the title suggests, I am interested in the possibility that the found text embroidered on the works in this show, can be read as wisdom and/or advice, given to you for your use, especially as it relates to self-expression in pursuit of social currency.

As an artist, my work draws parallels between handiwork and social media. I use humor and the iterative processes of the leisure arts to consider questions about influencer culture, labor versus leisure activities, time invested versus meaningful output, and how empathy and envy drive social behavior. I am bemused by both personal and cultural acts of narcissism, and I use production as a tool for reflection and exchange. Many of the works in the exhibition are from my ongoing series “How can we get noticed if we are all doing the same thing?” This series consists of works on raw, unstretched, and patchworked canvas, hand-embroidered with borrowed text. My canvases are often large and loosely draped on the wall and include life-size elements from trophy wearables, such as letter jacket trim and sleeves, and pockets and handles from tote bags. These additions suggest abstracted garments, signaling the presence of the body and emphasizing concepts of identity and personhood.

Additionally, many of the works in this show are appliquéd with embroidered patches I design from pictures posted to social media. I am currently designing and producing this ongoing series of merit badges which depict familiar tropes of people engaging in “aspirational” behaviors as dictated by influencer culture. These patches humorously challenge the acceptance of narcissism and bragging as “content”, scrutinize definitions of novelty, and serve as a critique on “sameness”—the over-simplified, particularized world fed to us by the internet and its algorithms.

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