Work in Progress: Caren Garfen

'Their Hands Were Tied' - work in progress by Caren Garfen
Red thread on white cotton.
The photograph above gives an insight into the inspiration and progress being made by Caren Garfen on her glove piece. The working title for this piece is, 'Their Hands Were Tied'.

"I am looking back to the 1800s when gloves were an essential part of a woman’s attire. They were a part of social etiquette, taste and propriety.
I will compare these ladies’ gentility with the conduct of ‘celebrities’ in the 21st century, whose lives and actions are exposed in the media and online for all to see.
I will construct my own ‘name tape’, hand stitching capital letters using red silk threads. I will be using words taken from an online forum about today’s celebrities, and will research literature to select portrayals of females in the 19th century.
The name tape will be attached from the glove to an antique ivory glove stretcher.
Daphne Bryant, of course, will get a bit of a look-in, in the form of a monogram, hand stitched onto the back of the glove.
There is still a lot to do, but it is such an exciting collaboration, and I love the idea that other artists are thinking and working on the same project somewhere else around the country."