Patterson-Marx: Sewing Meditation Box
Volume #25: Fabrics and Dress Sewing Meditation Box
by Lesley Patterson Marx @ lesleypattersonmarx
Through the use of symbolic imagery in this artists’ book and box collection, the viewer is invited to consider the act of sewing as a means for mindful reflection and self-discovery. Inherent in the act of sewing is the power to heal the spirit and protect the body with the intention of one’s own creations. A button opens to reveal a series of embroidered mandalas. A spool unfurls and transforms into a collection of fabric butterflies, their common names identified on the back. Button motifs, printed on fabric, can be turned over to show sewing vocabulary words that empower, such as Strength and Repair. The Finding Center book opens in an accordion fold, with imagery that shares a non-linear narrative of seeking emotional balance and repair through mending and making.
Lesley Patterson-Marx is a native of Louisville, Ky., and has lived in Nashville since 2001. She has exhibited her artists’ books, prints and mixed-media works across the United States, Great Britain, and The Netherlands. Her work has been featured in New American Paintings, Craft and ReadyMade, and can be found in the permanent collections of Bainbridge Island Museum of Art, Vanderbilt University, Mississippi University for Women, and Noelle Hotel.