Undocumented Nopal. 2525 AD
2019
Silk, hemp, cotton fabric. Linen and wire warp. Cotton and synthetic embroidery thread, barbed wire.
70" x 48"
Silk, hemp, cotton fabric. Linen and wire warp. Cotton and synthetic embroidery thread, barbed wire.
70" x 48"
The dress recognizes the American cactus Nopal, a food, medicine, and dye mordant. In Mexico, cactus is an essential part of the national cuisine. Throughout California, cactus patches marked edges of property lines. On silk fabric I quilted a giant nopal leaf. Maps of the Americas and sightings of maternal deities occur randomly. Grids and barbed wire pierce the landscape. Many overlapped cotton embroidery stitches, create a rich textile surface. The barb wire in the bodice, camouflaged inside a field of woven fabric, is woven with leather barbed wire. Resisting sterilization, the cactus might help us survive the Apocalypse.
