Denise Sokolsky

Artist Statement

Translucency and opacity, fragility and strength, fragmentation and wholeness are dichotomous qualities intrinsic to my art. I manipulate surface texture to achieve a play with light through layers of sheer fabric, Mylar or open weave structures to create multidimensional surfaces. The
tension between these textural elements of surface and partial transparency create mystery in what lies inside and underneath.

I am particularly drawn to the intricate details of organic forms found in nature such as lichen, leaves or tree bark. After sketching these objects, I machine embroider one of my drawings onto a dissolvable stabilizer, which eventually gets washed away. My other method is more abstract;
I arrange small pieces of hand-dyed silk and painted Mylar onto a dissolvable stabilizer and stitch through the layers.

In both processes I am stitching onto a cloth that melts away, leaving only the embroidery or just the fabric and Mylar mosaic. I am thus able to achieve transparency with light passing and reflecting through the thread, sheer fabric, Mylar and the spaces around these materials.