Carla Edwrds: Soonest Mended

About

The proverb "least said, soonest mended" implies that a difficult situation will be resolved if there's no more mention of it. Carla Edwards' cut-up, dyed, and reassembled American flags question this adage, refusing to assume that injustices will right themselves if ignored.

Carla Edwards states:
"My current project examines how dominant culture and artifacts shape our sense of identity and self. Through appropriation, I make material interventions that alter or deconstruct an original subject to be manipulated and reconfigured in a way that has altered its meaning. This gesture, often ritualistic in nature, seeks to understand our complex relationship to symbols, and the often-humorous solace they inspire. I view this process of altering as a means of gaining current and tactile access to the symbols that surround me. Materiality and the notion of the hand or labor is important in my work. Cultural identity and the political reside in what is made. A gesture of solace, a covetous object, a thing made with spiritual devotion or a fervent patriotism are the things I find most seductive and inspiring."