Mandala CLIII

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Artist: Susan Lenz

Title: Mandala CLIII

Attribution: Mandala CLIII

Year: 2023

Materials: Found objects hand-stitched to a section of a vintage quilt

Dimensions: 25" x 25"

Image Statement: I started stitching my found object mandalas during the pandemic. It was my attempt to deal with a changing world and a way to adapt to virtual opportunities that replaced in-person exhibitions and events. For me, using multiples of seemingly mundane objects puts into perspective the abundance of life and the capacity to keep things as if for a "rainy day". Concentric circular arrangements tapped into the ancient, meditative practice of making a mandala and provided a strong, graphic design that appealed in the new, virtual world. Using old, often obsolete things and plastic objects kept them from a landfill fate. This appealed to my environmental concerns. Paper clips, keys, bottle caps, cookie cutters, checkers, plastic spoons, and old clock parts suggested home, family, and a common nostalgic past. Repetitively stitching these every day items onto sections of old quilts brought an extraordinary new life to otherwise ordinary things.