Lucy Bailey

Irmo, SC

This new body of fiber-based mixed media work is built from vintage children's clothing to establish the central idea of our earliest seeds of identity. Each narrative suggests a way in which the trajectory of a life is influenced by chance encounter, family of origin, setting, time, and events. Fabric is altered and embellished while other materials are interwoven and attached to represent the many disparate factors competing to make an impression on who we are and how we navigate this life. The idea of an individual figure (once literally inhabited by the gowns) remains central. All of us reflect on the themes we recognize from where we are now in our lives, back through our personal histories, into early childhood, and even to the family and culture into which we were born. This work invites viewers to tug gently on those threads and interpret the art in a way that creates personal meaning.