Two Collage

For decades now, my work, whether it be sculpture or collage has taken the throw away, the discards, the unloved and unfashionable, and re-purposed as art. I am moved by old things. I am moved by the banal. Why, I cannot say. What I can say, is the message behind my work is clear. Things are not as they appear. Look deeper. My current project is a happy confluence of fashion, sculpture, design and art. I am re-imagining a piece of history beloved by women all over the world. In the fifties, sixties and seventies, the most emphatic symbol of love was the fur coat. To receive one of these beautiful coats was the ultimate gift. These coats were beloved. They represented love, commitment, success and a wonderful future. Then, of course society changed, and the fur coat became a different kind of symbol for a different kind of culture. I don’t disagree with the movement to ban the killing of animals for their fur. I am an ardent supporter. However, these coats still exist. One does not dispose of a beloved object. They are tucked away in cool storage, or in large bags in basements or attics. They have been bestowed to daughters and nieces and sisters. These coats are organic. They will eventually disintegrate. Is that the thing to do? I decided nope, not the right thing to do. So... My current project takes these once lustrous and important coats and reimagines them into a wearable sculpture. Reimagine. Recreate. Reuse. For a full view of my coats, their meaning and my philosophy, please visit my website, www.ebjoli.com