State Dinner, 2018

Textile sculptures of Hillary Clinton, Rosalind Carter, Laura Bush, Betty Ford, Micelle Obama, and Pat Nixon. A decorative plate is on the back wall. A wooden chair holds a pillow embroidered with a federal eagle reads, “Bless This Mess.”

This suite of works investigates political "soft power" via nine former first ladies. The sculptures are constructed from home decoration fabrics, and each is a hollow form—like a slipcover—implying that the presentation of the public image is more important than these women’s actual lives. They have been exhibited at Anytime Dept. (2018); Upfor Gallery (2019); Wignall Museum of Contemporary Art (2020); and Oregon Center for Contemporary Art (2021).

Installation view of State Dinner at Anytime Dept. Gallery, 2018. Slumping textile sculptures of Melania Trump, Barbara Bush, Nancy Reagan, and Hillary Clinton are distributed in the space.

Installation view of State Dinner at Anytime Dept., Cincinnati, 2018.

A partial view of a soft sculpture of a smiling Melania Trump. She is wearing a black velvet dress with red and gold floral sides. Her left hand dangles brokenly from a ruffled metallic cuff.

MT (detail), 2018; velvet, cotton, polyester, chenille brocade, aluminum, paint; approx. 66 x 37 x 29 in.

A drooping fabric sculpture of Barbara Bush in a brown plaid jacket on the left; a sagging textile sculpture of Nancy Reagan in raspberry houndstooth on the right. The are hung close together on a gray wall as though they are in conversation.

Left: BB, 2018; polyester, wool, cotton, brass buttons; 46 x 12 x 5.5 in.
Right: NR, 2018; polyester, wool, cotton; 34 x 12 x 5 in.

A slumping textile sculpture of Betty Ford is hung on a white wall. She is smiling and wearing a pink flowered shirt, with her signature black and pink scarf knotted at her neck.

BF, 2018; polyester, rayon, cotton; 40 x 16 x 5 in.

A sagging fabric sculpture of Pat Nixon is draped so that her face and red-flowered garment are partially obscured.

PN, 2018; polyester, cotton, spandex; 40 x 17 x 5.5 in.

A drooping fabric sculpture of Rosalind Carter shows the former first lady in a green and black blouse with yellow chintz fabric at the sides.

RC, 2018; polyester, cotton; 48 x 18 x 8 in.

A fabric sculpture of a shyly smiling Laura Bush in a lilac dress is draped over a black tripod, so that she has three “legs.”

LB, 2018; polyester, rayon, aluminum, paint; approx. 60 x 44 x 29 in. Shown installed in DEAR LUCY at Upfor Gallery, Portland, 2019.

On the left, a drooping Michelle Obama in an electric-blue silk dress; on the right, a slumped Hillary Clinton clasps her hands over the waist of a sky-blue satin dress.

Left: MO, 2018; cotton, polyester, silk, aluminum, paint; approx. 62 x 38 x 29 in.
Right: HC, 2018; polyester, aluminum, paint; approx. 61 x 36 x 30 in.
Shown installed in Time Being at Oregon Center for Contemporary Art, Portland, 2021.

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