Katrina Coombs | Sarasota Art Museum Exhibition
Date
(Sunday May 22nd, 2022) - (Sunday October 2nd, 2022) (All Day)(GMT-05:00)
Details
I M(O)ther is a reference to several deliberately ambiguous maternal personalities that have been a part of Jamaica-based textile and fiber
Details
I M(O)ther is a reference to several deliberately ambiguous maternal personalities that have been a part of Jamaica-based textile and fiber artist, Katrina Coombs’ understanding of her experiences, desires, passions, and role as a woman, and the relation of the maternal figure as an Other.
The twelve artworks in this exhibition invite us to enter a world of wonderfully constructed fiber forms, created over several years in response to a number of personal experiences, reflections, and observations. Each piece contributes to our collective appreciation of Coombs’ oeuvre, as well as of the range of visual possibilities that can be attained when working with natural and synthetic fibers.
While fibers are central to all pieces, Coombs skillfully incorporates cowrie shells, amethyst stone, mirror, and beads in select creations. These non-fiber elements are used to communicate conceptual ideas of identity, the maternal figure, wealth, ancestry, and security. Coombs communicates her range of ideas in pieces that are intended to physically envelope the viewer in some instances, and in other instances keep the viewer at a distance. Her use of colors indicates a desire to strategically stimulate our perceptions by providing us with tints and tones of reds, yellows, oranges, and cream.
Though majority of her works are autobiographical, the experiences of other women and non-biological maternal figures are also significant in the structure and thinking that underpin her works. Like the ambiguous personalities that inspire the pieces on show, the artworks do not make definitive statements. However, they make clear suggestions that are intended to inspire questions, emotions, and commentary. It is perhaps best to appreciate each piece as both personal and communal reflections about maternal instincts, and female social expectations and emotional desires.
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