Downtime features fiber and decorative art objects, made during my downtime throughout the between March, 2020 and January, 2022. Together the pieces explore the concept of the trousseau, a collection of objects made by a bride before her wedding day as a gift to her husband. Traditionally these items might include linens, clothing and other wares that a woman would spend her life making in preparation for her future. These items were almost always of a practical nature that hinged on necessity, two key pillars of “women’s work.” In contemporary times this necessity has been subverted by the rise of machinery, technology and consumerism that render hand crafting unnecessary. Therefore, I chose to pursue these crafts as a means of creation beyond necessity, making things for the future I couldn’t see. Objects that were explicitly non-essential, whose only purpose is to be worked on. What would it mean to crochet a sweater that couldn’t be worn, or embroider an object devoid of additional colors that rejected the foundations of the medium? By using found materials as the basis of this collection I strove to anchor the collection in memory, creating within my means yet outside of my control.
Contact the artist: edietrautwein@gmail.com
R & A, necklace (April 2020)
Beads from Felton, California
I & U, necklace (February 2021)
Beads from Felton, California
C & A, necklace (November 2020)
Beads from Felton, California
N, two necklaces (August 2021)
Beads from Mexico City, Mexico and Felton, California
E, necklace (October 2021)
Beads from Felton, California
July pt 1 (Paramount), two necklaces (July 2021)
Beads from Venice, California
July pt 2 (Soccer Camp), two necklaces (July 2021)
Beads from Venice, California
Labor Day, three necklaces (September 2021)
Safety alarm & beads from Westchester, Pennsylvania and New York City, New York
M, three necklaces (July 2021)
Beads from Westchester, Pennsylvania
Macaroni, two necklaces and three bracelets (September 2021)
Beads from Santa Cruz, California (made with the Affordable Art Project)
Teeth, necklace (October 2021)
Beads from Santa Cruz, California
I & U pt 2, three necklaces (December 2021)
Beads from San Francisco, California
Sweater 1 (March 2020 - December 2021)
A used sweater, crocheted with recycled yarn, and soda can tabs.
Coral Crochet Top (June - September 2021)
A sweater constructed out of recycled yarn crocheted in hyperbolic sequences. Inspired by the Crochet Coral Reef.
History of Consciousness Dress (June - December 2021)
A used dress embroidered in shades of recycled brown thread, embroidered with notes and drawings from Approaches to History of Consciousness.
Road Trip Top (December 2021)
Top made with recycled yarn from the Fabrica collective and soda can tabs.
Abstract Crochet Top (April 2020)
Improvised crochet top made with recycled yarn.
Knit Shirt (January - February 2021)
A short sleeve knit sweater with improvised patterns, inspired by Arshille Gorky’s Waterfall. Raglan pattern by Jessie Maed.
Pink Crochet Top (May 2021)
Improvised crocheted top made with recycled yarn.
Crochet Shawl (February 2021)
Improvised crochet using recycled yarn.