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Work Samples

Painted Stories

portraits, real people, conversations, mixed media, create connection, community, humanity, works on paper, congregation, stories
Painted Stories is 60 mixed media portraits built as a large structure. Most are real people and each portrait has a story written on the back. Here's an example of one of the stories: "Another Saturday painting Jenn in her butterfly dress, sitting so calmly, no boys, no noise. I added 'hydrogen', the first element, to Jenn's portrait. Her home life was, from the telling of it, like a time bomb... highly flammable like hydrogen. Somehow, she balanced those realities... the calm, the ticking bomb and the butterfly."

Come and Go

painting, birds, hearts, bowls, students, birdbath, COVID painting, pandemic, come and go, flight
This piece is inspired by one of my painting classes. “Come and Go” became our circle during the pandemic as if we were meeting in person instead of online. There’s a bowl for each student, symbolic of giving and receiving. Birds dip into the circle and fly away in different directions. The horizon line grounds the group. 30"x44.5", acrylic, graphite, marker and colored pencil on paper

Sewn Figures

sewn figures, hand sewing, looping stitch, recycling, repurposing, fabric, textiles, layering, hand-made, bringing pieces together, thread, landfill, stitching as drawing, creating wholeness
The sewn figures parallel my painting and mixed media processes. Stitching is drawing, fabric is paint and attached objects create layers. Through collecting, sorting and valuing, materials headed for the landfill are sewn together to make something whole again. Each figure is made entirely from discarded and re-purposed materials except for thread, paint and some beads on the faces.

Tearing Prayers

my grandmother, sauce pot, prayers, rosary, tearing paper, tearing prayers, Freddie Gray, old paintings, to-do lists
My grandmother, mother and aunts recited daily rosaries into their 80’s and 90’s. Their hands worked a well-worn path from the crucifix to the first few beads, around the loop and back. They prayed, paced and rocked. They prayed while vacuuming, making sauce, changing diapers. Prayers, were in their DNA.    I started tearing arrows from old paintings and to-do lists during the 2015 uprisings in Baltimore following the death of Freddie Gray while in police custody. In heartbreak, I was reminded of the women with their rosaries and my own childhood laps around the beads.

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About Gina

Baltimore City

Gina Pierleoni's picture
Gina Pierleoni uses portraiture to spark conversations about empathy and our common humanity.  Portraiture is the opposite of assumption.  Pierleoni’s images are acts of deep seeing that push past label and judgments; they seek to "de-separate" us.  In every series, Pierleoni assembles pieces to create a larger whole. Portraits of real people placed together become a community or congregation. Older, paintings are fitted in new ways to make large Human Icons that record a transformative... more

Mixed Media Portraits

My mixed media paintings are created over weeks, months and years, each lovingly realized.  I start with a model, paying close attention to impressions and our conversations.  Both form the heart of the piece.  After our time together, I continue alone recalling as much as possible about the sitter and our time together.  The remainder of what happens is intuited.  I draw, paint, scratch into, collage. Hand-made stencils and stamps create additional layers. Gender, race and age sometimes blur.  Figures emerge from long histories of surfaces and ghosted images.  These are real people, alive, changing, vulnerable and genuine.

  • Bevin and Grace (#313 & #312)

    portraits, mixed media, paintings on paper, real people, conversations, collage
    oil, acrylic, marker, colored pencil, charcoal, graphite, hand cut stamps, torn paintings and to-do lists on paper 22"x 9" and 22"x11"
  • Painted Stories

     portraits, real people, conversations, mixed media, create connection, community, humanity, works on paper, congregation
    Painted Stories is 60 mixed media portraits built as a large structure. Most portraits feature real people and each portrait has a story written on the back of the panel. Here's an example of one of the stories: "Another Saturday painting Jenn in her butterfly dress, sitting so calmly, no boys, no noise. I added 'hydrogen', the first element, to Jenn's portrait. Her home life was, from the telling of it, like a time bomb... highly flammable like hydrogen. Somehow, she balanced those realities... the calm, the ticking bomb and the butterfly.
  • Transmission

    portrait, COVID, transmission, circles, pandemic painting, tracking, movement, isolation, arrows, drawing, works on paper
    “Transmission” considers connection, communication and isolation during the pandemic as inhaling and exhaling at close range is risky. One of ‘the gifts of COVID-19’ is discovering alternate ways to cultivate community and practice self-leadership. Though physically separated from one another, we continue to share experiences, exchange ideas, images and support. acrylic, graphite, marker and colored pencil on paper 31"x22.5"
  • #269, #231 & #280

    acrylic, oil, ball point pen, graphite on paper Each panel is approximately 22"x9.5"
  • Meet Carla

    portraits spark conversations, mixed media portraits, real people, paintings, conversations create portraits, painting, five elements, meet Carla, drawing
    acrylic, graphite, colored pencil, hand cut stamps on paper mounted on wooden panel 30"x15"
  • Liz and Me

    portraits spark conversations, mixed media portraits, real people, paintings, conversations create portraits, self-portrait, to-do lists, every year
    Liz and Me oil, acrylic, ink, marker, colored pencil and graphite on paper 22"x19"
  • Luminous

    portraits, real people, conversations, mixed media, create connection, community, humanity, works on paper, luminous, light, , stories
    Luminous (Myles) acrylic, graphite, marker and colored pencil on paper 30"x22"
  • Thea (with Bevin hidden), Gale and Laura

    portraits spark conversations, mixed media portraits, real people, paintings, conversations create portraits
    oil, acrylic, colored pencil, graphite, ink and torn paintings on paper approximately 21"x9" each
  • #270, #274 & #264 (all Kyle)

    portraits spark conversations, mixed media portraits, real people, paintings, conversations create portraits
    acrylic, oil, graphite, ink, colored pencil and torn paintings on paper Each panel is approximately 22"x9.5"

Birds

During the last half of 2019, it was clear my husband was  sick.  His diagnosis came in August and in less than 6 months, he passed.  A couple of weeks later, everything shut down with COVID. 
The more things devolved in life, the more I turned to birds for solace.  I watched for them, listened to their conversations and trusted that no matter what happened, nests would continue to be made, baby birds would continue to be born and later fledge. 
The less I understood about where people go after their bodies die, the more credence I gave to the birds as intermediaries between worlds, as though they didn't  recognize a dividing line.  Birds continue to find a place in my paintings.

 

  • Come and Go

    “Come and Go”, inspired by my painting class, became our circle as if we were meeting in person. There’s a bowl for each student. Bowls are symbolic of giving and receiving. Birds dip into the circle and fly away in different directions. The horizon line grounds the group. acrylic, graphite, marker and colored pencil 31"x45"
  • Navigating Tendrils

    portraits spark conversations, mixed media portraits, real people, paintings, conversations create portraits, birds, hand-cut stamps, stencils, navigating
    The stuff of life: hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, carbon, beauty / The words we say to ourselves and others / Birds nesting, fledging, holding on, letting go oil, acrylic, graphite and hand-cut stamps on paper, 21"x21.5"
  • Up

What Makes Us (Us) portrait installation

Gina Pierleoni: What Makes Us (Us)
at Creative Alliance, Baltimore, MD
 
Exhibition Statement
Everyone deserves to be seen and heard.
 
Over the past 26 years, I created nearly 300 portraits of people across the spectrum of familiarity. These images push past labels and judgements as they question perception, habit, and bias in how we place ourselves in relation to others. What Makes Us (Us) is the first time nearly the entire series has been displayed in one place.  

In the late 1970s and early 1980s, I frequently sketched commuters and the homeless population inside Grand Central Station in New York.  Sometimes I would have a conversation that resulted in the person asking to have their portrait drawn. The volunteers were almost exclusively homeless. I offered the drawing as a thank you for our time together. The more I showed up, the more people would ask me to draw them. The deeper the connection, the closer the image resembled the sitter.

During the same years, I bartended at a train station lounge. Some of the regulars were Vietnam veterans, who shared their struggles to reintegrate. Their compassion for one another regardless of rank was touching. Drawing portraits of them created conversations. I noticed parallel shame and invisibility among the homeless and veterans.

Sketching became a form of advocacy. I didn’t imagine these drawings would one day provide a gateway to my own healing, form the central philosophy for my teaching and community building, and build a platform for the art I cared about making.

When the series began, I made several drawings of my voice.  The first portraits, emotionally raw unearthings, used mostly charcoal lines. The process was physical, empowering.  Each year I added more portraits.  The pieces were reworked over months, years until the images came alive. Using a similar scale created an absence of hierarchy.

I use portraiture to spark conversations about empathy and our common humanity.  Portrait painting demands curiosity, stillness and deep observation. My portraits are multi-layered: drawn, painted, scratched into, stamped and stenciled under, over and through the surfaces. I am painting from the inside out to convey the emotional fabric of someone, in addition to how they look. These are real people, alive, changing, genuine and vulnerable.”
 

 
 


  • What Makes Us (Us) installation

    oil, acrylic, ink, colored pencil, graphite, torn paintings, to-do lists, works on paper, portraits spark conversations, mixed media portraits, real people, paintings, conversations create portraits, self-portrait, contemporary art, collective, community
    What Makes Us (Us) installation at Creative Alliance featuring 241 portraits
  • What Makes Us (Us) installation detail

    oil, acrylic, ink, colored pencil, graphite, torn paintings, to-do lists, works on paper, portraits spark conversations, mixed media portraits, real people, paintings, conversations create portraits, self-portrait, contemporary art, collective, community
    What Makes Us (Us) installed at Creative Alliance detail
  • Making Conversations

    Following an artist talk, 'Making Conversation' premiered during the run of 'What Makes Us (US)'. An original performance, it featured four local musicians who had never played together: Benny Russell, Helen Yuen, Cliff Giles and Sera Bailey-Emberson. Using long pieces of bamboo with chalk stuffed in one end, audience participants drew on the gallery floor inspired by the improvisational sounds they heard.
  • What Makes Us (Us) detail

    oil, acrylic, ink, colored pencil, graphite, torn paintings, to-do lists, works on paper, portraits spark conversations, mixed media portraits, real people, paintings, conversations create portraits, self-portrait, contemporary art
    #115 (pictured center) Another Saturday painting Jenn in her butterfly dress, sitting so calmly, no boys, no noise. I added ‘hydrogen’, the first element to Jenn’s portrait. Her home life was, from the telling of it, a time bomb… highly flammable like hydrogen. Somehow she balanced those realities… the calm, the ticking bomb, and the butterfly. Each portrait in the installation has notes written on the reverse side. They reference the sitter, the process or what was going on at the time the painting was made.
  • What Makes Us (Us) detail

    oil, acrylic, ink, colored pencil, graphite, torn paintings, to-do lists, works on paper, portraits spark conversations, mixed media portraits, real people, paintings, conversations create portraits, self-portrait, contemporary art, collective, community
    "#275 (pictured center right) This painting came from thinking about thinking, what the mind looks like engaged, overstimulated and then perfectly still, satisfied. Each portrait in the installation has notes written on the reverse side. They reference the sitter, the process or what was going on at the time the painting was made. In this installation of over 240 portraits, about 15 paintings had text revealed.
  • What Makes Us (Us) detail

    oil, acrylic, ink, colored pencil, graphite, torn paintings, to-do lists, works on paper, portraits spark conversations, mixed media portraits, real people, paintings, conversations create portraits, self-portrait, contemporary art, collective, community
    #7 (pictured center right) Self Portrait, direct, matter of fact with Trane's wild 3-year old lines telling a whole other story. Collaboration is a good thing. It stretches us in unpredictable ways." Each portrait in the installation has notes written on the reverse side. They reference the sitter, the process or what was going on at the time the painting was made. In this installation of over 240 portraits, about 15 paintings had text revealed.
  • What Makes Us (Us) detail

    oil, acrylic, ink, colored pencil, graphite, torn paintings, to-do lists, works on paper, portraits spark conversations, mixed media portraits, real people, paintings, conversations create portraits, self-portrait, contemporary art, collective, community
    #287 (pictured center) The background triangles were made in 1980 at CNR in NY, part of a larger painting. I added Steve in 2002 then tore him in half in 2016. Trust: above triangles Control: below triangles Washed over like water in 2018 Each portrait in the installation has notes written on the reverse side. They reference the sitter, the process or what was going on at the time the painting was made. In this installation of over 240 portraits, about 15 paintings had text revealed.
  • What Makes Us (Us) detail

    oil, acrylic, ink, colored pencil, graphite, torn paintings, to-do lists, works on paper, portraits spark conversations, mixed media portraits, real people, paintings, conversations create portraits, self-portrait, contemporary art, collective, community
    #28 (pictured center right) From the collection of Mary Alice McGurrin (Rest in Peace). Mary Alice bought 10 raffle tickets in 1999 helping me to raise money to go to Florence, Italy where I was part of the Florence Biennale. Her ticket was a winner and she chose this painting. The piece came back to me after she died. I added extra detail on the mouth in 2017 because her words and actions were so sweet and loving. Each portrait in the installation has notes written on the reverse side. They reference the sitter, the process or what was going on at the time the painting was made.
  • Interview with Gina Pierleoni

    Video interview of Gina Pierleoni at the opening of What Makes Us (Us) at Creative Alliance.

Tearing Prayers, Arrows, and Video Interviews

My grandmother, mother and aunts recited daily rosaries into their 80’s and 90’s.  Their hands worked a well-worn path from the crucifix to the first few beads, around the loop and back. They prayed, paced and rocked.  They prayed while vacuuming, making sauce, changing diapers. Prayers, were in their DNA. 
 
I started tearing arrows from  old paintings and to-do lists during the 2015 uprisings in Baltimore following the death of Freddie Gray while in police custody.  In heartbreak, I was reminded of the women with their rosaries and my own childhood laps around the beads.  For me, tearing arrows has become a form of prayer.  I continue to make them.  There will always be people and places needing love.
______________________________________________
 The arrow paintings and installations  represent emphasis, sustained attention,  inner wisdom,  a choice, the power of individuals and groups to create change. 
______________________________________________
Three video interviews are part of the“Motivation on Monday” series by Myles Banks of Just Stunt Productions. 

 

  • Tearing Prayers

    my grandmother, sauce pot, prayers, rosary, tearing paper, tearing prayers, Freddie Gray, old paintings, to-do lists
    My grandmother, mother and aunts recited daily rosaries into their 80’s and 90’s. Their hands worked a well-worn path from the crucifix to the first few beads, around the loop and back. They prayed, paced and rocked. They prayed while vacuuming, making sauce, changing diapers. Prayers, were in their DNA. I started tearing arrows from old paintings and to-do lists during the 2015 uprisings in Baltimore following the death of Freddie Gray while in police custody. In heartbreak, I was reminded of the women with their rosaries and my own childhood laps around the beads.
  • Ear to the Ground

    arrows, pointing, mixed media, torn paper, recycling, installation, clothes line
    Ear to the Ground This piece focuses on individual choices made that together form a multitude and a less than straight path. acrylic, ink, colored pencil, graphite, hand torn arrows, plastic sleeves, clothes pins and line size variable
  • Jarred Loose

    arrows, torn paintings, prayer, directions, conversations, recycling, jars, pointing, confetti
    7“x62”x24”, acrylic, ink, colored pencil, graphite, marker, hand-torn arrows from old paintings and to-do lists, glass jars
  • Surround Sound

    arrows, pointing, death, torn paper, recycling, portrait, halo, reclin ing figure,
    Surround Sound This painting was created following the death of a family member. In the moment of passing senses are elevated, time stands still. 22“x10”x1.5”, acrylic, ink, colored pencil, marker, graphite, and torn old paintings and to-do lists on paper mounted on wooden panel
  • Wedge

    arrows, pointing, directions, collage, mixed media, torn paper, recycling, force, to do lists
    Wedge is the potential power of a group when they move in one direction. acrylic, ink, colored pencil, graphite, marker, old torn paintings, to-do lists and arrows on panel 12"x12"x1.5"
  • Urgent

    arrows, pointing, rituals, torn paper, recycling, still life, painting
    Urgent calls attention to the objects we use and rituals we perform on a daily basis. 10“x8”x1.5”, acrylic, ink and torn-up old paintings on panel
  • Arrows

    arrows, pointing, directions, collage, mixed media, torn paper, recycling
    Arrows Each piece is 8"x8", mixed media on paper mounted on wooden panels
  • Reframing Your Mind

    This video, part of a series called “Motivation on Monday”, was filmed and edited by Myles Banks of Just Stunt Productions. Being willing to have conversations is another possibilty for coming together.
  • Your Thoughts Are Powerful

    This video, part of a series called “Motivation on Monday”, was filmed and edited by Myles Banks of Just Stunt Productions. Being willing to have conversations is another possibility for coming together.

Sewn Figures

The sewn figures parallel my painting and mixed media processes.  Stitching is drawing, fabric is paint and attached objects create layers. Through collecting, sorting  and valuing, materials headed for the landfill are sewn together to make something whole again.

Each figure is made entirely from discarded and re-purposed materials except for thread and paint. Materials have included: electric toothbrush rings, gift bag handles, any small things with holes in them, shoelaces, broken costume jewelry, hospital socks, old beads and buttons, rosaries and medals of saints, graduation tassels, sequins, leather scraps, fabric and yarn. Everything is sewn together with a simple looping stitch.

  • SewnFigures

    sewn figures, hand sewing, looping stitch, recycling, repurposing, fabric, textiles, layering, hand-made, bringing pieces together, thread, landfill, stitching as drawing, creating wholeness
    Sewn Figures installation at 'Unfolding', Stevenson University Greenspring Campus, MD
  • The Jacket

    socks, recycling, repurposing, hand-sewn, sewing, beading, beads, the jacket, red shoes
    This hand-sewn piece combines individually attached beads, felt, yarn, old clothes and socks. Materials used are 100% repurposed/recycled excluding thread and beads.
  • Butterflies

    sewn figures, recycling, buttterflies, earrings, repurposing, sewing, drawing with thread, layers, stuff
    ‘Butterflies’ is built around a pair of 1960’s earrings sewn onto the figure’s shoulders. There are also hand laced shoe tops, separated snaps which loop the arms, and children’s leggings which become the legs. Materials used are 100% repurposed/recycled excluding thread. 24"x9"x7"
  • Untitled Baltimore

    sewn figures, recycling, repurposing, sewing, drawing with thread, layers, stuff
    Untitled Baltimore was started during the Uprisings and completed a couple of years later. I dismantled a Maryland flag as a symbol of parallel worlds of opportunity and inclusion statewide particularly in Baltimore. Materials used are 100% repurposed/recycled excluding thread.
  • Velveteen

    hand-sewn, hand sewing, thread, recycling, repurposing, velveteen, my old socks
    Hand-sewn figure made from 100% recycled and repurposed materials excluding thread.
  • The Win

    sewn figures, recycling, repurposing, sewing, drawing with thread, layers, stuff
    ‘The Win’ is constructed using elements from my mother’s nursing home room collected during her last three weeks. The armature is built and stuffed with hospital socks. Also attached are gift bag handles, shoelaces, her religious medals, feathers and a bingo prize. Materials used are 100% repurposed/recycled excluding thread.
  • In The Race

    sewn figures, recycling, repurposing, sewing, drawing with thread, layers, stuff
    Plastic electric toothbrush rings and other round things with holes are attached using a simple looping stitch. Sequins are attached to the arms individually, obsessively. Materials used are 100% repurposed/recycled excluding thread. 24"x13"x5"
  • The Deepest Sleep

    sewn figure, recycled, re-purposed, doll, puppet, sewing, textiles
    The Deepest Sleep was made as a memorial following my father's death. I cut flowers from different fabrics and placed them on the figure. This was my first attempt at making slippers. Materials used are 100% repurposed/recycled excluding thread.
  • Glistener

    sewn figures, recycling, repurposing, sewing, drawing with thread, layers,
    I am a big fan of polka dots and stripes. Glistener was built around 2 favorite socks that had developed holes at the same time. They became her face and her socks. Materials used are 100% repurposed/recycled excluding thread. 28"x16"x5"
  • Little Brown Boots

    sewn figures, recycling, repurposing, sewing, drawing with thread, layers, stuff
    This piece uses individually attached beads, winter glow in the dark gloves, dusting rags, individually stitched flowers and sequins, a safety pin collection and GI Joe boots. Materials used are 100% repurposed/recycled excluding thread.

Human Icons

Human Icons
These paintings honor and make visible moments of transformation within the people they depict.
Most are made of multiple panels from old paintings, reconfigured and reworked. Joining  pieces in new ways mirrors how we continually upgrade versions of ourselves.  Some 'older' areas remain visible in their entirety, other areas are largely obscured. The figures emerge from a long, multi-layered history.

  • This Moment Is Every Moment

    portraits spark conversations, contemporary art, portrait, human icons, mixed media, portaits, painting, graphite, charcoal, transformation, real people
    acrylic, charcoal and graphite on paper 44“x28”
  • 1000 Reasons

    human icons, mixed media, portraits, painting, seed pods, opening, graphite, hands, falling, transformation, 1000 reasons
    acrylic, pastel and graphite on paper 85“x45”
  • Full Empty Fill

    human icons, mixed media, portaits, paintings, collage, real people, bowls, full empty fill, torn paintings
    acrylic, graphite, ink, colored pencil, torn paintings and hand-cut stamps on paper 41x36
  • Silked Bevin

    portraits spark conversations, mixed media portraits, Kenyan cloth, real people, paintings, conversations create portraits, reconfiguration, portraits, transformation, real people
    acrylic and colored pencil on paper 39"x31"
  • Shield Cycle

    human icons, mixed media, portaits, painting, collage, seed pods, locusts, ink, torn paintings
    acrylic, pastel, graphite, charcoal, colored pencil, ink and torn paintings on paper 73"x42"
  • Radiation

    human icon, radiation,. light, healing, color, painting, stamps, stencils, portrait
    acrylic, pastel and hand cut stamps/stencils on paper 42"x52"
  • 48 Weeks

    portraits, quilt, painting, drawing, cancer, spheres, bowls, healing, floating
    acrylic, pastel, ink and graphite on paper 72"x51"
  • With Wings

    human icons, mixed media, portaits, paintings, luck, wings, collage, stamps, to-do lists
    acrylic, hand cut stamps, torn paintings and to-do lists, ink, graphite on paper 41"x24"
  • The Edges That Blur

    flags, US flag, Afghanistan flag, mixed media, portraits, paintings, stars, stripes, collage, real people, torn paintings, edges, blur
    This painting was an attempt to merge the flags from the US and Afghanistan. A portrait is embedded in each flag. acrylic, graphite, and torn paintings on paper
  • Above In Below

    42"x26", acrylic and charcoal on paper

Forgetting Memory

My mother, a healthy and active 86 year-old, developed an infection which traveled to her brain. Overninght, she was completely transformed, bed ridden and frail. Initially, she was only able to say a handful of phrases which, strung together, seemed meaningless: “You know”, "Wow”, and “I was thinking “.  Every once in a while she had moments of startling clarity.

In the next few months, she rebounded and  learned to walk with a walker. Her ability to speak returned but her memory was dramatically impacted. She asked questions like, “Was I a good mother?” and “Was I a good wife?”   She didn't remember all of her 9 children unless she named them from oldest to youngest. My parents had been married for over 50 years but she'd misplaced her memories of  him.  It was as if the files in her brain had been randomly ransacked and areas were deleted or mismatched.  

In many ways, she was more content because she didn't remember what troubled her in the past. My mother became funnier, even to herself, asking questions like, “What do you call the thing with two holes?”  I replied, “Pants?” She called her walker a wagon and most of the time was OK with her mix-ups. It was game we played of remembering and sometimes I got the answers right.

These drawings reflect the space between my mother's mind before and after, memory and forgetting, the frustration of losing something you can’t find again, and the playful moments that sometimes happen when loss is treated like an adventure.

  • Forgetting Memory

    forgetting memory, my mother, memory loss, transformation, remembering, forgetting, loss, brain, adventure, cognition, focus, childlike,
    Forgetting Memory My mother, a healthy, active 86-year old, developed an infection which traveled to her brain. She was completely transformed, bed ridden and frail. Initially, she was only able to say a handful of phrases which, strung together, seemed meaningless: “You know”, "Wow”, and “I was thinking.” Every once in a while, she had moments of startling clarity. In the next few months, she rebounded and learned to walk with a walker. Her ability to speak returned but her memory was dramatically impacted.
  • Packing

    from the series Forgetting Memory acrylic, marker and graphite on paper 5"x7"
  • Bird Watching

    forgetting memory, birds, bird watching, brain loss, my mother, my father, memory loss, painting, drawing, ink, questions, family, adventure, illustration
    acrylic, ink and photograph on paper 5"x14"
  • Forgetting Memory

    from the series Forgetting Memory acrylic, marker, ball point pen and typed paper on paper 7"x5"
  • Questions

    forgetting memory, my mother, my father, memory loss, painting, drawing, ink, questions, family, brain, who, what, illustration
    acrylic, ink and graphite on paper 10"x16"
  • Sisters

    forgetting memory, sisters,  brain loss, my mother, memory loss, painting, drawing, ink, sewing, portraits, questions, family, adventure, illustration
    from the Forgetting Memory series 5"x14" acrylic, graphite, ink, thread, fabric on paper

Wearable: Painting Rag Shirts

Wearable: Painting Rag Shirts
In the process of making paintings, I clean my brushes and stencils on rags made from old cut up T-shirts.  The combination of colors and patterns that appear on the scraps is not replicated in any of the rags.  Though I didn't realize it would be, sewing the shirts back together is very much like making a painting.  It is a balancing act, a push and pull, and eventually, after days, weeks, months, it's done.  The difference is I can wear these paintings.

The Backstory: I’ve saved these painting rags for 35 years. I couldn't part with them because the colors on the T-shirt scraps were remnants of the paintings I'd created.  They sat around for decades accumulating.  I started sorting the fabric into short and long sleeves, bottom edges, necklines and middle sections. It seemed natural to sew pieces back together. The process became a way to reference the figure and my personal history as a painter. My palette has changed many times over the years. This ongoing series transforms the rags back into paintings.

  • M

    painting rag shirts, acrylic, painting, painting rags, sewing, thread, putting pieces back together, making a painting, shirts, t-shirts, sleeves, colors, paint, cleaning brushes, recycling, repurposing, painting history, wearable art, wearable paintings
    Painting rags reassembled and sewn back together, acrylic and thread on cotton fabric
  • Last Shirt

    painting rag shirts, acrylic, painting, painting rags, sewing, thread, putting pieces back together, making a painting, shirts, t-shirts, sleeves, colors, paint, cleaning brushes, recycling, repurposing, painting history, wearable art, wearable paintings
    2 weeks before my father died, it became difficult to get T-shirts over his head and my mother cut the fronts for easier access. In this shirt, I created something to honor his transition, using a stone wall to describe his dying process. Stones are laid strong and firm. They protect us and mark where we are. Over time, stones fall down changing the shape of the wall. There is also an image of a lion on the front of the shirt.
  • Fur Shirt

    painting rag shirts, acrylic, painting, painting rags, sewing, thread, putting pieces back together, making a painting, shirts, t-shirts, sleeves, colors, paint, cleaning brushes, recycling, repurposing, painting history, wearable art, wearable paintings
    As an avid collector and recycler, it is difficult to throw away the littlest scraps, especially when they are so beautiful. The Fur Shirt was created by individually and obsessively sewing hundreds of strands of painting rags onto a shirt made of reassembled painting rags. The shirt refers to fur because the many layers create a thick, billowing effect. Painting rags reassembled and sewn back together, acrylic and thread on cotton fabric
  • The D

    painting rag shirts, acrylic, painting, painting rags, sewing, thread, putting pieces back together, making a painting, shirts, t-shirts, sleeves, colors, paint, cleaning brushes, recycling, repurposing, painting history, wearable art, wearable paintings
    Painting rags reassembled and sewn back together, acrylic, buttons, and thread on cotton fabric
  • 3 Painting Rag Shirts

    painting rag shirts, acrylic, painting, painting rags, sewing, thread, putting pieces back together, making a painting, shirts, t-shirts, sleeves, colors, paint, cleaning brushes, recycling, repurposing, painting history, wearable art, wearable paintings
    Painting rags reassembled and sewn back together, acrylic and thread on cotton fabric
  • Seal Hidden

    painting rag shirts, acrylic, painting, painting rags, sewing, thread, putting pieces back together, making a painting, shirts, t-shirts, sleeves, colors, paint, cleaning brushes, recycling, repurposing, painting history, wearable art, wearable paintings,
    Painting rags reassembled and sewn back together, acrylic and thread on cotton fabric
  • Spots

    painting rag shirts, acrylic, painting, painting rags, sewing, thread, putting pieces back together, making a painting, shirts, t-shirts, sleeves, colors, paint, cleaning brushes, recycling, repurposing, painting history, wearable art, wearable paintings
    Painting rags reassembled and sewn back together, acrylic and thread on cotton fabric
  • UK

    painting rag shirts, acrylic, painting, painting rags, sewing, thread, putting pieces back together, making a painting, shirts, t-shirts, sleeves, colors, paint, cleaning brushes, recycling, repurposing, painting history, wearable art, wearable paintings
    Painting rags reassembled and sewn back together, acrylic and thread on cotton fabric
  • Painting Rag Shirts

    painting rag shirts, acrylic, painting, painting rags, sewing, thread, putting pieces back together, making a painting, shirts, t-shirts, sleeves, colors, paint, cleaning brushes, recycling, repurposing, painting history, wearable art, wearable paintings
    Painting rags reassembled and sewn back together, acrylic and thread on cotton fabric
  • Mystic

    painting rag shirts, acrylic, painting, painting rags, sewing, thread, putting pieces back together, making a painting, shirts, t-shirts, sleeves, colors, paint, cleaning brushes, recycling, repurposing, painting history, wearable art, wearable paintings
    Painting rags reassembled and sewn back together, acrylic and thread on cotton fabric

Statues for My Father

After my father died, my mother handed me a stack of his funeral cards and said, "Why don't you make something from these?"  The cards honor his name (Gino Pierleoni, so close to mine), birth/death dates and the images and religious practice that was important to him.  I wondered whether there would be a point during the alteration process when these religious figures might no longer be considered "holy".  

The final pieces are mounted on wood, freestanding like statues.

  • Daughter of the Lions

    statues, installation, my father, funeral cards, death, holy, lambs, to-do lists, painting, collage
    mixed media, torn paintings and to-do lists on paper mounted on wood approximately 9"x2.5"x1"
  • Modern Mary

    modern, Mary, statues, installation, my father, funeral cards, death, holy, shelves, painting, collage
    mixed media on paper mounted on wood approximately 12"x4"x1"
  • Four Statues

    statues, installation, my father, funeral cards, death, holy, shelves, painting, Mary, ears, trees, collage
    mixed media on paper mounted on wood Each statue is approximately: 8.5"x2.5"x1"
  • Self Portrait

    statues, installation, my father, funeral cards, death, holy, self portrait, skeleton, my bones, painting, collage
    mixed media on paper mounted on wood approximately: 8.5"x2.5"x1"
  • Statues installation

    statues, installation, my father, funeral cards, death, holy, shelves, painting, collage
    Statue installation mixed media on paper mounted on wood and placed on shelves each approximately 9"x3"x1"
  • Do Not Look Outside Yourself

    statues, installation, my father, funeral cards, death, holy, Mary, Marys, Hopi elders, painting, collage
    mixed media and torn paintings on paper mounted on wood approximately 10"x2.5"x1"
  • The Black Pants

    statues, installation, my father, funeral cards, death, holy, lambs, painting, collage
    mixed media on paper mounted on wood 8.5"x2""x1"
  • Three Statues

    statues, installation, my father, funeral cards, death, holy, Mary, painting, collage
    mixed media on paper mounted on wood End statues are approximately: 8.5"x2.5"x1"
  • St. Patrick Pointing

    statues, installation, my father, funeral cards, death, holy, shelves, St. Patrick, pointing, painting, collage
    mixed media and torn paintings on paper mounted on wood approximately 10"x4"x1"
  • St. Theresa

    St. Theresa, statues, installation, my father, funeral cards, death, holy, shelves, memorial, patron saint, painting, collage
    mixed media and torn paintings on paper mounted on wood approximately 10"x2"x1"

Visible Man Revealed

Visible Man Revealed is a series based on the clear plastic Visible Man models common in my childhood. Rather than showcase the organs, I wanted the interior spaces to be a cataloging system or series of thematic collections. In these black and white ink drawings I used common male archetypes collecting images and text to describe each one.

  • Nature Man

    drawing, ink drawing, paper doll, nature, archetypes, men, male, symbols, elements, works on paper, geography, the world, marker
    Nature Man pairs images and symbols of nature with human nature. This drawing includes some of the ways we catalogue, from the Periodic Table to geographical borders. Though most of nature might be considered neutral, there are images associated with beauty, temptation and renewal. marker on paper, 16"x8"
  • SensualMan

    drawing, marker, sensual, men, male, paper dolls, blood coursing, senses, quotes
    Sensual Man primarily includes that which we cannot intellectualize or hold in our hands: the unknown, our faith and emotions, the creative force, the blood coursing through our veins, music, sexual urges, nature and storytelling. Our senses are also heightened through our connections to one another and the world around us. Marker on paper, 16.5"x7.5"

Connect with Gina

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Gina's Curated Collection

This artist has not yet created a curated collection.