Project Details
SCHMATA: a Yiddish word meaning a rag or something you throw on the floor, something worthless, an abused person, similar to a "doormat", for instance a spouse who gets berated in public, a person who gets taken advantage of, or a piece of clothing that does not have to be something old and falling apart - could be something appealing but not desired by the owner.
Schmata Business is a body of work using a collection of cloth remnants Margo inherited from a family relative who was a clothing designer. Bags of hand-painted silks, chiffons, cashmeres, wools and velvets have been the beginning point for this series of two-dimensional and three-dimensional works. Using these fabrics, Margo explores the notion of a schmata as it is understood to be a remainder, trace or vestige. Her project examines the possibility of physically mending or repairing these fragments to create new meanings while honouring their previous identities. What she wishes to evoke is the human body's resilience and plasticity - not unlike torn skin that will be scarred but is still capable of healing and re-forming.
All works are small in scale: approximately 9” x 5”/23cm x 13cm, made with wool, silk and cotton fabric remnants, cotton and silk sewing threads, and handmade paper.