Spring Blossoms Out My Window

Grace poulsen

Embroidery, 12 x 8 inches

Thrifted fabric, embroidery thread, and lace

Gathered coronavirus images found via Google Images from March - April 2020

Fabric paint

Polyester batting

Collection of the artist

Made possible by a grant from the Center for Latter-day Saint Arts, Art for Uncertain Times.

Both Looking in and looking out…

The coronavirus imagery on the internet is beautiful and important. In some depictions, designers use colors to convey the seriousness of the virus and in others, the virus is awe-inspiring and beautiful. The conflict between terrible and beautiful is captivating…like watching someone make the best of a bad situation. We can choose to find good in the bad, or should we? 

Moms at home are looking out the window, looking down at their phones, and teaching their children. Constantly logging in to all of these different worlds and switching between them creates a conglomerate of worlds. There is a new plane of information that includes Facebook accounts, news feeds, text messages, Marco Polo videos, email newsletters, and the view from our houses — both looking in and looking out.  This wild, patchy blob of information is what we pull from when we talk to other people. The more we take in, the harder it is to recall the sources of our knowledge and recall what we’ve decided for ourselves is truth. Images of hope and problem-solving add to the swirl of confusion. The information, the advice, and the stories build up over time and become a fantastical beast that is hard to separate and understand. 

This pillow is a representation of time in my house and my brain with my family from March - April, 2020. —Grace Poulsen, 2020

Grace Poulsen

was born in Salt Lake City, Utah, in 1987. Her mother is a painter and former art teacher; her father is an electrician and avid collector of scraps. Many of her projects are generated from the materials she saves as a mother and constant collector of old stationary, fabric and other small goods. She often pieces things together—lashing, tying or gluing to create something new. Grace is heavily influenced by her pioneer ancestry and the tradition of thrift, self-reliance and resourcefulness that she grew up around in Utah. In contrast, she also grew up with shopping malls, arcade prizes and thrift stores. As a teenager, Grace loved to scrapbook—saving dance invitations, photos and patterns that she liked. She continues the tradition of collecting while weaving in meaning as a mother, a member of the LDS Church and a consumer.

Grace currently lives in Hood River, Oregon with her husband and three daughters. You can find her @gracepoulsen.