Maria-Theresa's profile
I have been a professional artist for over 50 yrs it is a part of my life and work. Throughout my long career I worked as a Community Artist both in the UK and the USA. The part-time hours per week although, financially difficult, gave me the flexibility to concentrate on my Art. Being an artist is not only the creative drive, but a sense of well being which is important esepecially as one grows older. Dialogue with the work, exploring various materials,methods and
process thus allows for challenges and development. It is important for the work to grow rather than remain static. Place and Travel have been important in the development my work. Moving or living in several places has contributed immensely to the body of work over the years. My work also address social justice. In the early 90s,2000 the work included the Comfort Women of Korea, Dowry Brides of India etc . Recent work from 2015-2018 address social and political issues including the Baltimore Riots of 2015. Some of the work was in collaboration with a poet, Stephen Pohl, and included Book Covers, Banners, and the removal of the Confederate Monuments around the country. A residency (VisArts) in Rockville, MD, resulted in research of the African American Community who lived there in the 1800s.
Some of the objects at the Montgomery County Historical Society (the home of the former slave owners) research was part of an exhibition at VisArts in early 2018. In 2020 works addressing the many killings in the USA past and present involved a large Installation : In Memoriam Curtain (2020-2023) which shows portraits of the victims killed as a result of Gun Violence and Police brutality in this country. The Innocent -2012-2022 address the shootings in our schools and gun violence. It is important to bring these issues to the forefront and it is not a normality as this is the case in the USA.
Textiles, embroidery was not considered art when I was a student in London and Manchester, England. Earlier works include stitch with paint and could be considered as paintings. Works therefore that are included in the projects show a density of stitch that cover the entire surface to that of my present work which shows a gradual change in the process involved.
The technical methods and processes are important and the balance between materials and concept is vital in order to execute the work. The curiosity of exploring new methods and technology in creating work is utmost and although sometimes it does not work eventually after much experimentation it falls into place. Works from the early 2000s explored layering and density of surface. The subject matter dealt with Projects dealing with domestic and cultural issues.
Recent work involves new technologies i.e. laser cutter incorporating textiles and stitch. These works include the Slave Owner's Collection now the Montgomery County Historical Society, Rockville, Maryland, and the history
of the African American Community who lived there in the 1800s. Recent work (2018) explores the use of the laser cutter incorporating textiles,stitch
and the sewing computer. A visit to Cape Town recently has contributed to a large Installation comprising 93 panels. Each individual panel depicts the various aspects of the city ie,slavery,neighbourhoods, townships, culture etc. The recent events of Black Lives Matter is the subject of a large Installation created in 2020-2023.
