Andrea Dezso: I Wonder
CompletedJan 20, 2016 – Apr 10, 2016
Transylvania-born Andrea Dezsö (1968- ) works at the intersection of art, design, and craft. Much like the former Newcomb College artists and potters (see Newcomb Enterprise), Dezsö revisits, revises, and makes relevant traditional “female” applied arts. Her multi-dimensional ouevre includes embroidery, animation, paper cutting, ceramics, Victorian era inspired pop-up and carousel books, drawings, and, most recently, glass sculptures. Some of her most interesting works sub- vert the tradition of the “sampler,” a piece of embroidery that offers a religious or moral aphorism. Dezsö’s interpretations, delightful perversions of this traditionally demure female craft, conjure the darkly antiquated heart of Transylvanian womanhood in words and pictograms.
Her 48 embroidered cotton squares titled “Lessons From My Mother,” for example, present bits of Eastern European folk wisdom accompanied by equally wry illustrations. One square suggests, “A woman’s legs are so strong no man can spread them unless she lets him,” while another claims, “Smart people have tall foreheads.” Similarly, Dezsö’s books are introspective works with detailed, colorful drawings that expose the emotional tapestry of female forms in transition through relationships, motherhood, career change, and immigration. The lushly textured pages, often embellished with metallic inks and photographs, are highly seductive and revelatory.
For more information, please visit the I Wonder website
Exhibition Images (9)
