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FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL

Mixed Media

This project was inspired by a jar of flowers my mother brought to my apartment on the first day of classes. I created a soft sculpture in the form of a bundle of flowers. Each piece of the flowers was individually constructed through a process of cutting, pinning, sewing, and stuffing as well as beading on some. One by one, the pieces were then sewed together assembling the set of flowers. Each petal, leaf, and stem is unique in its own way either by value or form in order to emphasize the oneness of natural life. When considering materials, I utilized fabrics of different textures and colors once again emphasizing the organic singularities. In addition to sewing, I incorporated beading on some parts of the sculpture including the leaves and the center of the flowers. The decision to add beading was made to incorporate more texture as well as another material and skill into the work.  The choice to stuff the flowers was made in the interest of making the flowers soft and puffy seeking to make the viewer feel jubilant, often a feeling someone might also feel when receiving a bundle of flowers. 

ELLA THOMPSON-BURR

Ella Thompson-Burr is a senior from Richmond, VA. Studying Visual and Media Arts Practice, her artistic practice explores lived experience and nostalgia through a creative lens that is multidisciplinary, process-oriented, and materially engaged.

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