Mary Bero - Denny and Jane

Bero_Denny and Jane.jpg

Mary Bero (American, b. 1949), Denny and Jane, 1985, muslin, cotton floss, 4 1/8 x 3 7/8 in., gift of Janice and Jean-Pierre Golay, 2003.38.4

 

In much of her work, Wisconsin-born textile artist Mary Bero often draws from her personal experiences, in this case depicting her painter husband Dennis Nechvatal, and, presumably, her cat Jane. During Bero’s earlier years as an artist, Nechvatal was a key figure in helping her discover the scope of art outside of traditional media.

Employing the use of varied media, including muslin, cotton floss, silk and acrylic, Bero is best known for her miniature vignettes of tightly stitched figures, allowing the dynamism of the face and the layered patterns to speak for themselves. The small scale of her works lends itself to meticulous, almost obsessive detail, drawing the viewer in to get a closer look at the materials. With the use of different materials, Bero hopes to imbue in her textiles a “crackling energy” that creates unique, inimitable textures.

Elizabeth Bigelow

Catalogue
Mary Bero - Denny and Jane