The hooking is done for the upcoming Mary E. Black Gallery show in May!
I wanted to write a paragraph describing the show.
Spent three days pulling my hair out to come up with something.
Asked my lovely painter friend Steven Rhude to help.
Thank you Steven.
‘Surfing the Ironing Board’ is a collection of hooked mats by Nova Scotia based artist Laura Kenney. Rug Hooking is a traditional art form steeped in the folk culture of Atlantic Canada and has continued to be a chosen medium by contemporary artists to this day. In this series of work we see the familiar iconology of the Maritimes – fish, buoys, and lighthouses… but, with a twist. Kenney uses the narrative tradition of the hooked mat to tell the story of Judy, a fictional character, and her relationship with these symbols of her culture. In this respect, Kenney’s vision reflects the hopes of understanding and coping with the ups and downs of the modern world. Judy’s range of subjects are unorthodox to say the least, and her ironing board is used for anything other than ironing. From fish in vases, and a lighthouse as a dinner guest, to struggling to taking a selfie, Judy chronicles not just her life but ours.