Katharine Miele – “#AloneTogether”

In March, 2020, I posted on Instagram: “Open call for couch photos* Send me a picture of your sofa, a real life, current status of your lived-in sofa…” I received photos from all over, including Paris, Buffalo, Denver, Edmonton Canada, Philadelphia, etc. My pieces celebrate the people who were staying home during the Shelter in Place ordinance. They memorialize the time we, as an international body, stayed home and sat on our sofas. Alone. But alone together.

As a third year MFA candidate at UGA, couches are a common subject in my work. The chair’s signs of wear from continual, ritualistic usage tell a story that never ends. Embroidery is the best way to monumentalize these objects because it allows me to pour hours into their creation. Instead of depicting them in their fresh-out-of-the packaging state, their wear and use are conveyed by the analog care taken to create each stitch in the portraits.

 

“The Artist’s Workspace,” 2020, Embroidery on Canvas, 29” x 18”

“Julie-May’s Embroidery Art,” 2020, Embroidery on Canvas, 29” x 18”

“Shane’s Thinking Chair,” 2020, Embroidery on Canvas, 29” x 18”

“Sophie Margot’s Nicolas Cage Pillow,” 2020, Embroidery on Canvas, 29″ x 18”

“Mac Balentine’s Roswell Retreat,” 2020, Embroidery on Canvas, 20.5” x 24.5”