"Motherland"

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Abstract

The functions of art, particularly by women, as spiritual practice and modality of healing on individual and collective scales are inadequately addressed in contemporary art and criticism. “Motherland,” a 66-inch square embroidery, integrates fine art, craft, and a mythological/ecological vision to call awareness to the capacities of art beyond the aesthetic. This article situates “Motherland” within a lineage of women artists who use their creative process to commune with a divine principle; addresses the importance of craft in connecting bodies, objects, and lived ideologies; stresses a remythologization of human experience as a means toward ecological consciousness and sustainability; and reflects on how exhibition of “Motherland” creates sacred space in which artist and viewers come together toward a deeper understanding of our relationships to ourselves, each other, and the earth.