No to Impunity

by Jeanne Ciravolo

“My work honors the histories of trauma and resilient narratives of my close female relatives. Through material and psychological acts of construction and repair—stitching, collage, print and transfer, their stories materialize shared human experiences of loss and hope. Layers of painted paper reference both the body—specifically skin—as well as the formal language of painting. The layers accrue, constructing form, or are ripped away. In rebuilding the image, the painted paper functions as a poultice. Through acts of patching and decoupage, practices associated with woman’s domestic labor and craft, I pursue collage as a female act of repair and re-envisioning. I often use domestic textiles as substrates to explore the resistance inherent in making do, which connects to female traditions of labor and innovation. Each textile comes with a history. My alterations combine with the existing stains, tears, burns, and bleach marks to locate and magnify the narrative of my female protagonists”