Feminizing Technology

2004. Installation (Handmade Paper, Sewn Fabric, 3 Sewing Machine Pedals, Micro-controller, Speakers, Projector)

2004 Installation @ "Rude and Bold Women," Binghamton, NY

2004 Installation @ Spark Contemporary Gallery

“Feminizing Technology” is an exploration of the antithetical pairing of technology (labeled masculine) and domesticity (labeled feminine). Sewing, embroidery and needlework are common signifiers in feminist art, as well as signifiers of my own matrilineage. My grandmother sews, knits, embroiders, etc. and has complimented her traditional skills with a digitalized sewing machine that can be programmed and used with a computer. Seeing her interest and dependence on technology and the juxtaposition of old and new has provoked me to discover many similarities quilted and stitched work have with digital, pixel based work. Each step of the way I discover how the traditions of the past continue to influence and interact with the formation of traditions of the present. Immersing myself in both the quilting and programming experiences, I hope to reveal an equilibrium of a “genderless” activity.

View documentation.