Jana MacKenzie: Fabricated Histories
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The Gallery at Casa 230 8 Street, Lethbridge, Alberta T1J 5H2
Jana MacKenzie, "Fabricated HIstories," 2018
Reception: Saturday, April 28, 7:00pm
In the Main Gallery, FABRICATED HISTORIES, Lethbridge artist, Jana MacKenzie, has used thread to explore the idea of cartography as pattern. She had taken diverse types of maps, from star charts to rail systems and recreated them with embroidery. Leaving out both text and any points of reference, the familiar is reduced to an abstracted series of colours, dots and lines.
Artist Statement:Like all map-making, the pieces in this collection are the product of a biased decision-making process. They are hand-stitched reproductions that have been distorted by the softening of lines through thread, the alteration of tone and colouring, and by the omission of symbols and text. The intended messaging has been greatly simplified, or removed, with only the lines left to explain. While the aesthetic features are highlighted by this loss in translation, the original narrative of each map remains an equally important element to this exhibition.
Artist Bio:In grade five, Jana began cross-stitching after getting lessons from her teacher, Ms. Staples. Though she has yet to possess the tailoring skills of her Opa hand-stitching remains an important creative outlet in her life. After being exposed to the creative juices seeping from the arts community in Lethbridge, she began contributing to group exhibitions and had her first solo exhibition in 2010 at the Bowman Arts Centre. She continues to draw inspiration from her community and is always pleasantly surprised when a casual idea turns into something with greater depth and satisfaction.