Lauren Bailey
Creature Comfort
Creature Comfort is a mobile and adaptable structure of combined pieces that aims to cradle its user in a soft shell of comfort and security. Through a dynamic blend of textiles, the structure becomes a physical and wearable embodiment of the kind of warmth and peacefulness that often manifests from a hug or nostalgic memories. The versatile pieces are designed to embrace the body in a standing, sitting or resting position. Each piece is made entirely of repurposed textiles, which Lauren Bailey collected through donations or from secondhand stores. Many of the found textiles were overdyed with natural dyes to give them new life and to cultivate a calming color story; transporting the user and/or viewer into a space that is inviting, harmonious, and alive. A mix of hand quilting and weaving were used to unite the fabrics together to create a whimsical story that blends feelings of home, family, and friends that were already present through the previous lives and memories of the found fabrics. On closer inspection, the viewer will find sculptural guardian snakes weaving in, out and around each other, as well as the quilt itself, to form a protective barrier around the user. These interlocking snakes, many of which are removable, add an interactive and playful three-dimensional aspect to the quilted sanctuary.
Lauren Bailey finds comfort in her imaginative world of creatures and gives life to this world by translating them into soft physical objects that provide comfort and joy for others as well. As children, we are told that as we grow up we should grow out of our need for security blankets. Lauren disagrees with this notion, believing that it is perfectly healthy to find comfort and security in physical objects no matter your age. In addition to the comfort physical touch brings, the meaning that an individual attaches to an object or the memories and feelings that are evoked from it can be very powerful and in turn, have a real, positive effect on that individual’s mood. Additionally, Lauren aims to call attention to the large volume of scrap fabrics and previously used textiles that are available to use as artists, designers, and consumers and further intends to demonstrate the value and importance of repurposing and reusing.
baill241@newschool.edu