Title : Truth
Medium: Embroidered digital print on vintage handkerchief
Dimensions : 25x25cm unframed
About the artwork:
Truth’ is part of a series of pieces inspired by the language of flowers. The white chrysanthemum symbolises truth, which was always somewhat cloudy when I was growing up. I was told that my father was working abroad when he was in fact in prison. This made the truth something I’ve always yearned for. Despite this yearning, it also made me dream about being a different girl, in a different family; one with a dad who loved me and was always there.
About Tracy:
My work is strongly informed by my childhood memories & experiences. My father served many prison sentences and in my work, I express how his confinement affected my family, emotionally, socially and financially. Living with the stigma was not easy and I had to grow up quickly to help my mother with my younger siblings. I also explore notions of lost childhood as a result of this.
In addition, I focus on my beloved grandmother’s battle with Alzheimer’s, which in itself is a kind of confinement. She was a very strong woman who suffered much adversity in her life. She has always been a constant inspiration to me in many different ways and I owe a lot of my values to her. Within my work I explore ideas of fading memories and the loss of the essence of a person to this devastating illness.
I use vintage textiles including handkerchiefs, napkins, baby clothing and doilies to print and stitch onto as well as casting and trapping items in wax. This is a way for me to tell the story of my childhood and the effect it has had on me. Words, as well as images of personal objects from my past, feature strongly in my work.