1989 Inside out Burlap Bag Paintings
2016 Inside-Out Burlap Bag Paintings
The 1989 Inside Out Burlap Bag Paintings, I consider to be my first meaningful body of work. In this series, burlap is the canvas in a raw form. Influenced by commercially used bags to move goods, I have sewn large pieces of burlap together to create my own bags/containers for my paintings. After sewing the shape of the bag together, they are hung on the wall and painted on the front surface. Usually painted with horizontal stripes of different widths and colors, the loose weave of the burlap allows the paint to seep through to the other side. The bag is then turned inside out revealing the painting as seen from behind. Wood is then placed inside the bag. The canvas is now the support holding the wood. The idea of reversing the support, while containing the painting and seeing it from behind, continue to resonate throughout my work today.