My current work synthesizes years of artistic exploration in many mediums and incorporates my background studying and working in urban environments and for social justice. This series of abstract mixed-media fabric collages is based on redlining maps from the 1930's.

 

Under the guise of helping the depression-era economy, redlining was a racist practice of mapping cities to identify high-risk areas for bank lending. In fact, this served to further isolate and impoverish minority communities. Redlining, created almost 100 years ago, continues to have devastating effects.

 

The process of building the multiple layers of these mixed-media maps requires a slow and contemplative study of each city. The pace of the process of layering that includes drawing, hand dying, hand stitching, machine stitching, painting, and print making gives me time to reflect on each block, neighborhood, and city. By focusing on cities where I have lived, I am able to explore the specific implications of the damage that redlining caused and continues to cause to these people and communities.