Clay McLaurin: Embroidered Curiosities

February 10 - April 13

Opening: Friday, February 10, 2012 -- 7-9PM
Artist Talk will be the same night

Brooklyn Location - 2B Gallery

"Every item found has an uncertain beginning, but from each uncertain beginning there is a path – one that leads me in search of discovery. I am drawn to the mystery of origin, especially in objects from the natural world. For as long as I can remember, I have collected pods, seedlings, leaves, and other organic objects, so to muse on their complexity, hypothesize their genesis, and allow their design to inspire my own.

With my embroidered drawings, I am on a journey, seeking the uncertain origin of the object, and the certain design of what it becomes. Creating these images helps me to discover the cyclical relationship between the human and the natural world – the way it shapes us, and how we shape it.

I create each embroidered drawing sewing by hand and machine on to paper. The work is very physical and requires a bit of surrender so that a rhythm forms, and loops, hatch marks, or lines fall naturally across the surface. Each finished piece resembles an abstract world, an obscurity, an unknown thing – but each has a path, which leads us to discovery, which turns the foreign object into a familiar seedling in the pocket.

To me, these embroideries are like scientific drawings, resembling the discoveries of natural world explorers like Ernest Haeckel and Albertus Seba. In some areas, the thread builds up on the surface of the paper, creating a dimensional and unfamiliar phenomenon. In other areas, the thread creates a void, opening a portal into another world. These marvels inspire me to keep creating, just like they inspired early collectors of rare and strange objects to keep exploring the wonders of our world."


About the Artist

Clay McLaurin received his BFA in Fabric Design from the University of Georgia, and received his MFA in Textiles from the Rhode Island School of Design.

After working for several years in New York City as a textile designer and artist, Clay returned to the University of Georgia to pursue a teaching career and to establish his own studio for design and fine artwork in Atlanta.

Clay has received several awards for both his work as an artist and designer. His work has been published in numerous magazines including FRAME, FiberArts, Textile Forum, and Interior Design.

His work has been exhibited in galleries across the United States with shows in New York, Florida, Virginia, Pennsylvania, Georgia, Nebraska, and Texas. Clay’s work has also been shown internationally at Maronie Gallery and Gallery Gallery in Kyoto, Japan.