Virginia Mahoney
Just Too Much, 2023
reclaimed/re-formed old work (steel, ceramic, aluminum, thread, paper, acrylic), reclaimed food net and fabric, paper, thread, steel, words 61 x 20 x 10 in
Whether weighed down by what’s ‘out there’ or what’s ‘inside,’ humanity seems to buckle beneath a tremendous burden that is felt by many. It should be recognized that for far too many, it is overwhelming.
Virginia Mahoney
The Flower of the South, 2023
reclaimed/re-formed old work, reclaimed fabric & ribbon, thread, words 65 x 19 x 9 in
I was born and raised in Tennessee and Florida. The cult of the Southern Belle was real back in those days and persists even now. Delving into the after-effects, this work is part explanation, part parody, part excavation, and part confession.
Virginia Mahoney
Each, Every, All, None, 2023
reclaimed/reformed old work, reclaimed fabric, paper, thread, words 54 x 23 x 7 in
Who’s most important? Who doesn’t matter? What is the criteria? Is it really necessary to identify people by category? We are, all at once, each of us, together, every, all, and none.
Virginia Mahoney
Is THIS U.S.?, 2023
reclaimed/re-formed old work, reclaimed ribbon/food net/fabric, paper, thread, words 60 x 20 x 9 in
I find myself asking this question with each new piece of news about our country.
Virginia Mahoney
Invisible, 2022
reclaimed/re-formed old work, reclaimed food net and fabric, thread, steel, words 70 x 23 x 7 in
Why is it that there is so often a need to exclude those who are unique, who defy our rigid categories of acceptance?
Virginia Mahoney
I/You Am/Are You/Me/Us, 2022
reclaimed/re-formed old work (steel), reclaimed food net and fabric, thread, steel, words 71 x 27 x 6 in
I have witnessed the damage that labels can exact on people who are just trying to live their lives in the best way they can, as all of us are. Why can’t we just live and let live?
Virginia Mahoney
Urgent Action Required, 2022
reclaimed/re-formed old work (aluminum, steel, acrylic), reclaimed food net, thread, words 59 x 19 x 6 in
Quotes from the IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) Sixth Assessment Report on Climate Change are Embroidered on the surface of this work. They are almost lost in the texture, just as the shocking facts of climate change are lost on those who don’t experience it directly. Is anyone heeding this report? When will we take REAL action?”
Virginia Mahoney
Supremacy, 2022
fabric, food net, copper, thread, words 69 x 23 x 9 inches
"Supremacy" puffs out its chest, insisting on its authority. It is a red flag. It shows, no matter what those who benefit from it may do to try to sweep it under the rug..
Virginia Mahoney
Erasure, 2022
reclaimed fabric, food net, copper, thread, steel, words 68 x 33 x 7 inches
For so long, efforts to erase differences in lifestyle, culture, and appearance have existed in the form of laws, rules, and education. "Erasure" seeks to shine a light on the futility of such practices, and to expose the fact that the existence of color, vibrance, and diversity can NOT be erased.
