LOUISE SAXTON: cut & pinned

LOUISE SAXTON: cut & pinned is a self-published monograph reflecting the artist’s two-decade journey of collecting, reclaiming, and reimagining discarded needlework. Embroidery and lace crafted by past makers are on the brink of extinction, as are many of the plants and animals that inspired their creation. Louise Saxton’s reclamation project, beautifully profiled in this publication, addresses these dual vulnerabilities.


Saxton is an Australian artist based in Melbourne, Victoria, whose practice focuses on reconstructing domestic detritus. She repurposes her own paintings, as well as collections of business envelopes, vintage wallpapers, book illustrations, porcelain, and discarded needlework. In 2006, she received a Sir Ian Potter Cultural Trust travel grant for an artist residency at Rimbun Dahan in Malaysia, marking a pivotal shift in her work towards domestic needlework, which she views as a "silent collaboration" with anonymous makers.


Through her reinterpretations of historical paintings and found needlework—from the colonial era to twentieth-century artists—Saxton seeks to elevate the status of the mostly anonymous makers whose creative labor has historically been regarded as mere "women’s work." Her reclaimed ‘cut & pinned’ needlework assemblages, showcased in full colour in her book, contribute significantly to the dialogue between fine art and craft.


Learn more about LOUISE SAXTON: cut & pinned:
www.louisesaxton.com/monograph

LOUISE SAXTON: cut & pinned can be purchased as follows: