armor and facade series
My first “armored” garment was “Boundless” (the last image on this page), which began as a shirt. A friend had told me to “guard my heart”. Of course he meant that as an emotional guarding. But the phrase inspired this series of garments - sculptural garments that I see as metaphorical armor. This armor is not to be worn - it’s for display like metal armor is exhibited nowadays.
How do we armor ourselves through our daily garments? Basically they protect us from the elements. But what image do we portray (or hope to portray), what do we protect, and what do we hide?
NAKED; Air Force Flight Coveralls: Deconstructed, quilted, pieced, appliquéd, hand and machine stitched, reconstructed; 64" x 35" x 9"
It’s many layers thick; I removed all but the zippers, pockets and seams; 9000 yards of black thread were used. photo: Addison Doty
inside it reads: “I do not know how I came to be in this place of strange surroundings; I can only tell you I am caught, it is either vortex or maze, and I am destined to find my way out”
SKIN; 37" x 24" x 5"; reconstucted suit jacket; quilted, appliquéd, stitched; silk and various fabric scraps; photo: Penina M
“indigo words linger over red thoughts; golden rondelles encircle the scent of skin”
FLIGHT; 65”H x 22”W x 20D” (depth of the bottom “mermaid” flounce); Cotton, silk, white satin evening dress (disassembled), various fabric scraps, felt, paper, plastic, fake leaves, costume jewelry pearls, glass beads; Quilted, stitched, pieced, appliqued, embroidered, beaded, constructed; photo: Penina M
FLIGHT, built from a satin mermaid flounced evening dress, plays with the idea of a flight of fancy. I imagine whoever wore it felt removed from their normal day-to-day life. I stitched and painted birds and butterflies for its surface.
EN; 22” x 26” x 10”; deconstructed, “armored” T-Shirt; Quilted, pieced, appliquéd, hand and machine stitched, reconstucted; photo: Wendy McEahern
In the permanent collection of the Asheville Art Museum, North Carolina, USA ; “flowers fancy the faces of dragons / an instance ordinary / candling the sweet and the plain”
SHIELD; 23" x 27" x 9"; Silk, cotton, reimagined turtleneck sweater; Quilted, pieced, appliquéd, hand and machine stitched, constructed; photo: Wendy McEahern
in a private collectiom
…and SHIELD in the April 2021 edition of the magazine ArteMorbida in the article “Kay Khan’s Metaphorical Textile Sculptures”, written by Maria Rosaria Roseo
CONSTELLATION, 20 1/2" x 10" x 11 1/2", Silk, cotton
Quilted, pieced, appliquéd, hand and machine stitched, constructed
RAVEL; 20 1/2" x 10" x 11 1/2"; Silk, cotton; Quilted, pieced, appliquéd, hand and machine stitched, constructed
… notice the heart stitched over the vicinity of the human heart…
…“guard your heart”
BOUNDLESS; 32” x 23” x 9”; man’s shirt: deconstructed, “armored”, rebuilt; Silk, cotton; Quilted, pieced, appliquéd, hand and machine stitched, constructed; photo: Wendy McEahern