Pamela Palma Artist Statement
Temple to the God of Purse
Temple to the God of Purse
From my newest series,
Veils of Memory.
A mixed media collection of works
created during Covid-19 isolation
in which memories and longings,
perceived and imagined,
are fulfilled -- in art.
WHY WEAVE?
I make art because I am compelled to create; it is my calling. I was born with this inclination; I have been making things since childhood, primarily using cloth, yarn, and thread. It has become my life's journey to explore the depths of fiber as both contemporary art and functional, utilitarian art products. Weaving is a meditation which provides satisfaction with tangible results.
Textiles appeal to me for their tactile, maleable properties with infinite opportunities for artistic expression. Fiber art encompasses processes within processes with endless variations (see my Home page), a never ending upward spiral of invention fueled by imagination. Weaving has existed since before the beginning of time as a staple of life in all cultures across all continents.
Weaving is our DNA; the strands are woven together. It is literally the fabric of life, the thread of connectivity.
Textiles have long been assigned to the realm of women - which I fully embrace. The matriarchal system which existed in
pre-patriarchal epochs features often in my work. It focuses on the innate strengths of women, and acknowledges
the Divine Mother Goddess as the universal force of creation. She, in all her many global iterations as
Goddesses and Saints, is who guides and inspires. It is She who is Creation.
This construct informs much of my woven art works as subliminal messaging. I draw inspiration from delightful obscure
mythologies, occult, esoteric practices, long hidden from ruthless eyes, and the obvious splendor of Mother Nature.
Nature is Creation in action; it is fierce, mighty, powerful, delicate, and beautiful.
We need these things to feel whole. This is my underlying principle to art making,
to deliver messages of the Divine Mother Goddess in aesthetic formats, to instill wonder, wholeness;
to celebrate the elevated emotions generated when in the presence of beauty.
MY COLLECTIONS
Like musical notations, weaving patterns are more than just decorative; they are imbued with coded meanings.
My Tapestry + FIber Art collections contain artworks I have designed using ageless methods of disseminating messages through patterning. I perceive it as coded messages of women's wisdom, ancient secrets of herstory.
The Money Weavings, my extensive collection of mixed media incorporating shredded one hundred dollar bills, lifts the veil of societal illusions, posing such questions as, What is the value of money? Do we consume consciously or conspicuously? Why?
Mixed Media is another path I pursue for the pleasure of creative expression in art works, woven with exotic yarns and unexpected materials. These works are visual delights, neo-contemporary explorations into realms beyond tradition while creating within a traditional methodology. Often whimsical, art for art's sake, my Mixed Media artworks are designed to make us happy.
Because art can be fun.
Home Decor and Women's Wear are two separate categories that satisfy my need, as a Capricorn, to be practical.
Textiles continue to fulfill functional needs while exuding beauty, glamour, status, weath -
And so I develop distinctive products both decorative and useful for our homes and for us to wear.
Thanks for stopping by!
Pamela Palma