February 18 – April 3, 1993
"The blankets are the result of an additive system whereupon material X is combined with material Y .... using structure Z. This formula is then repeated until the blanket is big enough -usually covering two people."
- Susie Brandt January 1993
Hand stitched fabric, and appliqued, shredded, machine stitched and quilted, lace and even selvages constitute Susie Brandt's primary chosen media. Buttons and beads, Zip-Lock bags and yes, even cigarette butts (smoked) are also transformed by her creative imagination. In a characteristically understated manner Susie Brandt describes her work as "the result of an additive system" and titles the exhibition - her first solo exhibition in New York City - simply: Blankets. Yet, there is nothing simple about the work. It is a brilliantly obsessive and successful marriage of art and craft, of tradition and innovation. It makes dwelling on such issues irrelevant. These blankets are, indeed, blankets. They are functional, or can be, they are warm and in the artist's words they "usually cover two people." But, they are also a lot more. Their construction often involves traditional methods and even patterns, and a craftsmanship to rival that of the best artisans, but they eschew conventional ideas of form and content. With a healthy disrespect toward the traditions inherent in the medium, and secure in the knowledge of the craft, Susie Brandt's blankets serve as contemporary vehicles for her unique sense of humor and irony. They also serve as forums whereby she challenges and questions the very roots and conventions of fiber based work.