Nostalgia is Not Productive

Friday, March 8, 2019 - 11:30am to Tuesday, March 12, 2019 - 11:30am

Kristi Poole-Adler’s thesis project, Nostalgia is (not) Productive, explores the concept of grief and loss through text and textiles. Referencing Pauline Boss’ theory of Ambiguous Loss and her personal experience of a loved one’s struggle with mental illness, Poole-Adler questions what it means to grieve someone who is still living. Nostalgia is (not) Productive investigates whether nostalgia is an effective coping mechanism for grief, or if it re-inscribes trauma through rumination. She references the writing of Susan Stewart, Clay Routledge and Jacques Derrida to investigate longing and nostalgia as coping mechanisms or responses to mourning. Poole-Adler uses second-hand fabrics that are reminiscent of belongings from her childhood home as a way to re-remember, re-imagine, and re-create past memories. This thesis project is informed by the historical relationship between text and textiles, as well as the semiotics of both the fabric and words used in her practice. By using time consuming methods, such as stitching and weaving, her actions facilitate a reflective and contemplative space to mourn. With her thesis project, Kristi Poole-Adler aims to create critical dialogue on how mental illness affects familial relationships.

 

Kristi Poole-Adler is an interdisciplinary artist based in Toronto who primarily focuses in textiles. She holds a BFA with honours from the University of Alberta, specializing in Painting and Printmaking. Her work has been exhibited in group shows provincially and internationally. She volunteered with Friends of University Hospitals in Edmonton as a part of the Artist on the Wards Program, helping patients and family members relieve stress through the process of making artwork. In 2017, she received the Elizabeth Greenshields Foundation grant to assist her while working towards her Interdisciplinary Master’s in Art, Media and Design at OCAD University.

 

@noinstikristi

Venue & Address: 
Ignite Gallery 165 Augusta Ave Toronto ON M5T 2L4
Nostalgia is (not) productive

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