Work samples

  • Untitled
    Untitled

    Wool felt, kleenex box. 9x5x4 in., 2024 

  • Nightgown
    Nightgown

    Army blanket, camouflage, thread. 56x13x18 in., 2023.

  • Dirt Nap
    Dirt Nap

    Leaf grow. 48 in. x varying dimension, 2009.

  • Sugar Figurine
    Sugar Figurine

    Porcelain figurine, fondant. 10 in. x varying dimensions, 2022.

About Claudia

Claudia McDonough is an artist drawn to the interplay of memory, emotion, and material, exploring how each creates the conditions for the other to exist. Materials are central to her process, aligning with the emotional core of each piece and shaping its resonance and form. Her work gravitates toward spaces where trauma resides—both personal and collective—illuminating how these experiences shape us in ways we often struggle to recognize. Between material and feeling, her pieces convey the… more

Tipping Point

Since the pandemic, and the events that continue to unfold, subtle, invisible shifts are quietly changing relationships and daily life. The ongoing work in Tipping Point seeks to notice the atmosphere and feel of these changes.

  • Safety Cape
    Safety Cape

    Chrome fabric, wool felt, wood and acrylic paint. 70x72x72 in., 2024

  • Nightgown
    Nightgown

    Army blanket, camouflage, thread. 56x13x18 in., 2023

  • 2020-2022 Vol. 1 &2
    2020-2022 Vol. 1 &2

    Books, gold leaf. 10,25x7.25x4.75 in., 2023

  • Not Sure It's Love
    Not Sure It's Love

    Wool felt, thread, kleenex box. 9x5x4 in., 2024

  • Mask Red White Blue
    Mask Red White Blue

    Wool felt, 18x7.5x7.5 in., 2024

  • Mask Black White
    Mask Black White

    Wool felt, 18x7.5x7.5 in., 2024

  • Letter to the Editor
    Letter to the Editor

    Fabric, thread on canvas. 18x18 in., 2023

  • Perseus and Medusa
    Perseus and Medusa

    Fabric, thread. 18x18 in., 2022

  • Delta and Omicron
    Delta and Omicron

    Fabric, thread. 18x18 in., 2022

Magic Number 7, Plus or Minus Two

Cognitive psychologist George A. Miller famously proposed in 1956 that short-term memory can hold about seven objects, plus or minus two—a concept that feels both precise and deeply human. This idea resonates with the concept of memory objects in this room. I’m interested in how certain objects—or even dream images—carry the weight of memories, anchoring them to the physical world and shaping how we understand the past and who we are.

  • Sugar Figurine
    Sugar Figurine

    Porcelain figurine, fondant. 10x7x7 in., 2022

  • Cake
    Cake

    Styrofoam, fondant, birthday candles. 12x6 in., 2019

  • Double Ghost
    Double Ghost

    Fabric, marker, graphite. 72x46x20 in., 2022

  • Dark Chapter
    Dark Chapter

    Book, felt. 37x24x16 in., 2022

  • PItcher
    PItcher

    Clay, paint. 12x8 in., 2019

  • Hand in Hand
    Hand in Hand

    Quilt, rice filling, wood, paint. 30x20x17in., 2021

  • Socks
    Socks

    Socks, rice filling, wool felt. 14x13x2 in., 2019

This Too Shall Pass

The phrase “this too shall pass,” is a reminder to us of life’s impermanence. It tells us to lean into experiences, rather than resist or avoid them, understanding that both contribute to a larger story of who we are. Resilience grows in this space between despair and hope, where the belief in a better moment sustains us.

  • Dirt Nap
    Dirt Nap

    Leaf Grow. 48 in x varying dimensions, 2009

  • Epitaph
    Epitaph

    Artificial and live flowers, 35 in. diameter, 2009

  • Sham
    Sham

    Artificial and live flowers, staples, 2009

  • Self Portrait
    Self Portrait

    Artist canvas. 63x18x14 in., 2009

  • Suitcase
    Suitcase

    Vintage suitcase, duct tape. 15x20x7.5 in., 2016

  • Wardrobe
    Wardrobe

    Wardrobe, paint, fabric. 70x50x15 in., 2017

     

  • Blankets
    Blankets

    Quilts, blankets, embroidery. 15x18x20 in., 2015

  • Tender Barricade
    Tender Barricade

    Pillow cases, sand. 96x21x28 in., 2009

Remembrance

Remembrance is the act of holding a person or thing in mind; it is an active, evolving process that reflects both what we hold onto and what inevitably fades.

  • Self Portrait
    Self Portrait

    Inkjet print on paper. 19x27 in., 2018

     

  • MWMgrid_0.jpg
    MWMgrid_0.jpg

    Inkjet print on paper. 14.5x30 in., 2018

  • Pink Memory Grid
    Pink Memory Grid

    Inkjet print on paper. 14.5x30 in., 2022

     

  • Memory Grid
    Memory Grid

    Digital prints on aluminum. 40x88 in., 2016

     

  • Kodak Instamatic Diptych #4
    Kodak Instamatic Diptych #4

    Inkjet print on paper. 6.75x26.5 in., 2018

     

  • Kodak Instamatic Diptych #3
    Kodak Instamatic Diptych #3

    Inkjet print on paper. 6.75x26.5 in., 2018

     

  • Kodak Instamatic Diptych #2
    Kodak Instamatic Diptych #2

    Inkjet print on paper. 6.75x26.5 in., 2018

     

  • Kodak Instamatic Diptych #1
    Kodak Instamatic Diptych #1

    Inkjet print on paper. 6.75x26.5 in., 2018