Barbara Long British, b. 1960
One darned thing.... 2, 2025
Old Cotton Dishcloths, Threads
15 1/2 x 5 1/8 x 1 3/8 in
39.3 x 13 x 3.5 cm
39.3 x 13 x 3.5 cm
Housework, work and sometimes even life often feels like one darned thing after another. Using a phrase from her childhood to title the work, the artwork has been created on...
Housework, work and sometimes even life often feels like one darned thing after another. Using a phrase from her childhood to title the work, the artwork has been created on cloths found in old fashioned hardware stores which are very much like muslin nappies but coarser and stiffer. The artist used them for cleaning in the studio initially.
The cloth has been dyed with pomegranate and onion skins, further stiffened with starch. The holes and stains darned up with wool and cotton. The humble domestic cloth mended and cared for and elevated to iconic status.