MACKOMICS STUDIO
Liza MacKinnon
Paper Garments
These 3d historic fashion sculptures are made primarily from books, maps, photos and paper currency. They range from 1/2 scale stand alone pieces to life sized toddler garments to be hung on the wall. Commissions open for 2023. The pieces are arranged according to the show they were created for. All pieces not sold are available for purchase. Please contact me for prices and shipping estimates, local free delivery available.
All photos courtesy of Susan Wolfe at www.shirkwolfe.myportfolio.com/
A VIEW FROM HERE
Lincoln Art Center
Lincoln, KS 2022
Sonja's Skates
This winter skating coat is made from USGS topo maps of Kansas. The skates are from cardboard and ribbon and the fur is made from finely cut tissue paper
Photo by Susan Wolfe
A VIEW FROM HERE
Lincoln Art Center
Lincoln, KS 2022
Field of Dreams
Dorothy's dress is made of USGS topo maps of Kansas and her blouse is made from pages of the Wizard of Oz. The dress also features handmade poppies, gold leaf, embroidered edges and vintage buttons.
Photo by Susan Wolfe
A VIEW FROM HERE
Lincoln Art Center
Lincoln, KS 2022
London Interbellum
Made with maps of London, Wales, and Scotland. The trim is made with hundreds of sequins and embroidery on handmade paper. Paper rosettes and ribbon complete the piece which was designed as an homage to the fashion between the two great wars.
Photo by Susan Wolfe
A VIEW FROM HERE
Lincoln Art Center
Lincoln, KS 2022
Kansas Pioneer
This 19th Century dress is made with USGS topo maps of Kansas, road atlas maps, pages from the 1883 History of Kansas, paper lace, embroidery and velvet ribbon. The bustle features three life sized paper and embroidery sunflowers.
sold
Photo by Susan Wolfe
A VIEW FROM HERE
Lincoln Art Center
Lincoln, KS 2022
Dorothia's Butterflies
This sassy sleeveless number was made with Kansas topo maps, handmade paper, print ephemera, and paper butterflies
Photo by Susan Wolfe
A VIEW FROM HERE
Lincoln Art Center
Lincoln, KS 2022
Marie à Vivandière
This Robe a l'Anglaise was made from notated and embroidered musical pages from the Daughter of the Regiment (La fille du régiment) opera. Painted, stitched and covered with song birds, this piece includes paper lace ruffles and satin ribbon rosettes over the entire surface.
Photo by Susan Wolfe
DANCE FOR A SMALL PLANET
Jemez Springs Fine Art Gallery
Jemez Springs, NM 2022
A Beehive in my Heart
This three foot tall paper dress is decorated with traditional Ukranian Pysanky designs and has a paper behive floating among the stars in the torso. Inspired by the poem: Last Night as I lay Sleeping by Antonio Machado. Small lights illuminate the Hubble Telescope images on the inside of the dress.
Photo by Susan Wolfe
DANCE FOR A SMALL PLANET
Jemez Springs Fine Art Gallery
Jemez Springs, NM 2022
Who makes these changes?
This three foot tall paper dress is fashioned as a historic Nomadic Ukranian. The dress, skirt and blouse are made from the Ukraninan National Anthem sheet music. The piece was inspired by the poem: Who makes these changes? by Jalal al-Din Rumi. The beads are made of rolled paper, the "fur" is cut tissue paper and the bow is made of cardboard and ribbon.
Photo by Susan Wolfe
DANCE FOR A SMALL PLANET
Jemez Springs Fine Art Gallery
Jemez Springs, NM 2022
The cool light of the moon
This three foot tall paper dress is made of hundreds of full moon images. Snippets of moon poems peek out on the ribbons. The back bustle is made of handmade silver paper.
Photo by Susan Wolfe
DANCE FOR A SMALL PLANET
Jemez Springs Fine Art Gallery
Jemez Springs, NM 2022
Winged Victory
This three foot tall paper dress is made of tissue paper Sunflowers and Corn flowers - the national flowers of the Ukraine. The skirt and bodice are made from maps of the Ukraine.
Photo by Susan Wolfe
DANCE FOR A SMALL PLANET
Jemez Springs Fine Art Gallery
Jemez Springs, NM 2022
32E Merci
Doll-sized dress made of Paris street maps, embroidery, velvet ribbon and a memorable receipt for two bottles of wine.
NFS
Photo by Susan Wolfe
DANCE FOR A SMALL PLANET
Jemez Springs Fine Art Gallery
Jemez Springs, NM 2022
Cafe de Floret
Doll-sized dress made of Paris street maps, velvet ribbon, Bakelite button and vintage cafe photographs.
Sold
Photo by Susan Wolfe
DANCE FOR A SMALL PLANET
Jemez Springs Fine Art Gallery
Jemez Springs, NM 2022
Samedi apres midi
Doll-sized dress made of Paris street maps, paper lace and vintage Paris street scene photographs.
Sold
Photo by Susan Wolfe
DANCE FOR A SMALL PLANET
Jemez Springs Fine Art Gallery
Jemez Springs, NM 2022
Between the Alps
Doll-sized dress made of a vintage Paris street scene photograph, embroidery, French maps and organza ribbon.
Sold
Photo by Susan Wolfe
WORDS WITH WINGS
Jemez Springs Fine Art Gallery
Jemez Springs NM, 2021
Jemez Hummingbird
This 3 foot tall dress was made from stenciled maps of New Mexico, maps of the ocean, ribbon and a metal fencing armature.
Sold
Photo by Susan Wolfe
WORDS WITH WINGS
Jemez Springs Fine Art Gallery
Jemez Springs NM, 2021
Space Crow
This 3 foot tall dress with a cape was made of embroidered rocket ship imagery, crow brads and feathers made from Hubble Telescope images. The cape clasp is made from a Bakelite buckle and costume jewelry
Photo by Susan Wolfe
WORDS WITH WINGS
Jemez Springs Fine Art Gallery
Jemez Springs NM, 2021
Interbellum Butterfly
This 3 foot tall dress with adjustable butterfly accessories was made with sheet music, dictionary pages, beads, wire and a metal fencing armature.
Photo by Susan Wolfe
WORDS WITH WINGS
Jemez Springs Fine Art Gallery
Jemez Springs NM, 2021
Horsewoman of the Apocalypse; War
This four foot tall dress with adjustable wings is made from prop and foreign currency. It is decoreated with historic weapons and maps of historic battle fields. red threads adorn every surface, indicating the bloodshed of war.
Photo by Susan Wolfe
WORDS WITH WINGS
Jemez Springs Fine Art Gallery
Jemez Springs NM, 2021
Summer Clouds
Child-sized dress made with embroidered maps of New Mexico
Sold
Photo by Susan Wolfe
WORDS WITH WINGS
Jemez Springs Fine Art Gallery
Jemez Springs NM, 2021
Robis on the Mesa
Child-sized dress made with embroidered maps of New Mexico. Appliqued robins and vintage buttons complete the dress.
sold
Photo by Susan Wolfe
WORDS WITH WINGS
Jemez Springs Fine Art Gallery
Jemez Springs NM, 2021
Elsie Loves the Bodhi
Child-sized dress made with embroidered and painted maps of New Mexico. Donated to the 2021 Bodhi Manda Zen Center benefit auction.
donated
Photo by Susan Wolfe
WORDS WITH WINGS
Jemez Springs Fine Art Gallery
Jemez Springs NM, 2021
My Heart Belongs in the Jemez
Child-sized dress made with embroidered maps of New Mexico. Trimmed with ribbon and embossed wax paper. Donated to the 2022 New Mexico Library Foundation benefit fundraiser.
donated
Photo by Susan Wolfe
WORDS WITH WINGS
Jemez Springs Fine Art Gallery
Jemez Springs NM, 2021
Elsie loves the Library
Child-sized dress made with embroidered maps of New Mexico. Trimmed with paper skeletons in organza skirts reading tiny books. Donated to the Jemez Springs Public Library 2022 fundraising raffle.
donated
Photo by Susan Wolfe
WORDS WITH WINGS
Jemez Springs Fine Art Gallery
Jemez Springs NM, 2021
Walking in the Valley
Child-sized dress made with embroidered maps of New Mexico.
sold
Photo by Susan Wolfe
COLLECTED STORIES
Theatre Lawrence
Lawrence, KS 2022
Ruth's Recollections
This child-sized dress made from the play script pages of Collected Stories by Donald Margulies, gouache, glitter, and jewels.
sold
Photo by Susan Wolfe
COLLECTED STORIES
Theatre Lawrence
Lawrence, KS 2022
Roxanne's Decision
Delicately painted and embroidered child-sized dress made from the play script pages of Cyrano de Bergerac by Edmond Rostand.
Photo by Susan Wolfe
COLLECTED STORIES
Theatre Lawrence
Lawrence, KS 2022
Terry Stands Up
Child-sized overalls made with play script pages from On the Waterfront by Budd Schulberg. Decorated with embroidery, hand painted decorations and photographic stills from the movie.
Photo by Susan Wolfe
COLLECTED STORIES
Theatre Lawrence
Lawrence, KS 2022
Torvald's World
Child-sized jacket with a gouache painted and embroidered plaid made from pages of A Doll's House by Henrick Ibsen.
Sold
Photo by Susan Wolfe
COLLECTED STORIES
Theatre Lawrence
Lawrence, KS 2022
Pop Seeks Justice
Child-sized overalls made with gouache painted and embroidered play script pages from On the Waterfront by Budd Schulberg.
Photo by Susan Wolfe
COLLECTED STORIES
Theatre Lawrence
Lawrence, KS 2022
Nora Decides
Child-sized jacket decorated with embroidery and delicate pointilist dots. Made from gouache painted play script pages of A Doll's House by Henrick Ibsen.
sold
Photo by Susan Wolfe
COLLECTED STORIES
Theatre Lawrence
Lawrence, KS 2022
Natasha Takes Charge
Child-sized cape made with the play script pages of the Three Sisters by Anton Chekhov. The cape has been painted in gouache with a herringbone pattern and trimmed with tissue paper "fur".
Photo by Susan Wolfe
COLLECTED STORIES
Theatre Lawrence
Lawrence, KS 2022
Lyuba = Love
Child-sized cape made with the play script pages of The Cherry Orchard by Anton Chekhov. The pattern has been painted on with gouache and black and white inks. The hem and collars have been extensively embroidered. The pom poms are made with tissue paper.
Sold
Photo by Susan Wolfe
COLLECTED STORIES
Theatre Lawrence
Lawrence, KS 2022
Violetta Shines Bright
Child-sized cape made with the play script pages of the opera La Traviata by Verdi. Decorated with embroidery, feathers and handmade tassles.
Photo by Susan Wolfe
COLLECTED STORIES
Theatre Lawrence
Lawrence, KS 2022
Beatrice's Sprezzatura
Child-sized winter coat and mittens made with play script pages of Much Ado about Nothing by Shakespeare. Decorated with embroidery and gouache patterns.
sold
Photo by Susan Wolfe
COLLECTED STORIES
Theatre Lawrence
Lawrence, KS 2022
Ivan's Farce
Child-sized overalls made with play script pages of The Inspector General by Nikolai Gogot. Decorated with stamps, embroidery and copic markers.
Photo by Susan Wolfe
COLLECTED STORIES
Theatre Lawrence
Lawrence, KS 2022
Flora's Full Moon
Child-sized dress made with play script pages of La Traviata by Verdi. Decorated with gouache, paper lace and satin and grossgrain ribbon
Photo by Susan Wolfe
COLLECTED STORIES
Theatre Lawrence
Lawrence, KS 2022
Cleopatra Remembers
Child-sized double cape made with play script pages of Caesar and Cleopatra by George Bernard Shaw. Decorated with gouache, embroidery and sewing pattern paper fringe.
sold
Photo by Susan Wolfe
A KANSAS CHILDHOOD
Lawrence Public Library
Lawrence, KS 2021
Clarina Makes Way for Justice
Doll-sized dress made from aeronautical maps of Kansas, embroidery and beads.
Clarina Nichols first gained national recognition in the early 1850s for her newspaper editorials supporting women’s rights and the abolitionist party in the Kansas Territory. She traveled throughout the progressive territory giving lectures and gathering signatures on petitions, which motivated delegates to the Wyandotte constitutional convention in 1859 to ask her to address the all-male assembly.
sold
Photo by Susan Wolfe
A KANSAS CHILDHOOD
Lawrence Public Library
Lawrence, KS 2021
Eva Sings
Doll-sized dress made from maps of Kansas City, embroidery, velvet ribbon, embossed waxed paper and song birds.
Named for: Eva Jessye (1895-1992) was born in Coffeyville, KS and earned international praise as a choral director. Jessye is known as "the grand dame of Black music in America," and was the choral trainer for George Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess. She also marched with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in 1963.
sold
Photo by Susan Wolfe
A KANSAS CHILDHOOD
Lawrence Public Library
Lawrence, KS 2021
Hattie in the Spring
Child-sized dress made from embroidered maps of Kansas.
Named for: Hattie Anderson Elliott, one of the founders of Lawrence and wife to Robert Gaston Elliott, publisher of the Kansas Free State paper. Strong abolitionists, they helped Kansas transition from territory to state.
sold
Photo by Susan Wolfe
A KANSAS CHILDHOOD
Lawrence Public Library
Lawrence, KS 2021
Butterfly Annie
Child-sized dress made from embroidered and gouache-painted maps of Kansas.
Annie LaPorte Diggs was a Kansas poet, author, newspaperwoman, temperance worker and Populist advocate. Diggs wrote articles for several newspapers, including the Topeka Commonwealth, the Lawrence Journal, and the Westminster Review, a British publication. Over a 20 year period she lectured extensively on the People's Party, prohibition, and women’s suffrage in nearly every state in the union. Diggs also served as Kansas State Librarian from 1898 to 1902.
Donated
Photo by Susan Wolfe
A KANSAS CHILDHOOD
Lawrence Public Library
Lawrence, KS 2021
Springtime for Annie
Child-sized dress made from embroidered, illustrated and gouache-painted maps of Kansas. This dress is also decorated with beads and organza ribbon.
Langston Hughes was raised mainly in Lawrence, Kansas, by his maternal grandmother, Mary Patterson Langston. Through the black American oral tradition and drawing from the activist experiences of her generation, Mary Langston instilled in her grandson a lasting sense of racial pride.
sold
Photo by Susan Wolfe
A KANSAS CHILDHOOD
Lawrence Public Library
Lawrence, KS 2021
Travels with Susan
Child-sized dress made from embroidered maps of Kansas.
Susan Shelby Magoffin was Only 18 years old when she traveled the Santa Fe Trail in 1846, she was one of the first American women to travel the trail and she also kept one of the most detailed journals of daily experience on the trail. Magoffin is remarkable both for traveling the difficult journey and for the journal she kept. Her journal is a valuable resource for information along the trail. Unlike many male accounts, she takes note of domestic issues and offers insight as to what women’s lives were like during the expansion period. Magoffin’s reports of the prairie and its creatures offer information about Kansas prior to white settlement.
sold
Photo by Susan Wolfe
A KANSAS CHILDHOOD
Lawrence Public Library
Lawrence, KS 2021
Sara's Birthday
Child-sized dress made from embroidered and beaded maps of Kansas.
Sara T. L. Robinson was a US writer and historian. She served as the inaugural First Lady of Kansas and is most notable for her book, Kansas: its interior and exterior life; including a full view of its settlement, political history, social life, climate soil, productions, scenery, etc. (1856) during which time, her house was plundered and burned. The book was considered "epoch making" for its time.
sold
Photo by Susan Wolfe
A KANSAS CHILDHOOD
Lawrence Public Library
Lawrence, KS 2021
Meg Gives
Child-sized dress made from embroidered and beaded maps of Kansas. The dress is trimmed with gouache painted paper lace.
Although the Ladybird Diner closed March 14, 2020, Meg Heriford and a small number of staff haven’t stopped working ever since. The Ladybird has offered free bagged lunches for anyone who needs them throughout this long year+. Heriford writes about her pandemic efforts and much more in Ladybird, Collected, a book of essays released last fall. Purchase a copy from Lawrence’s Raven Book Store and 100 percent of proceeds go to the diner’s community meal program, with each book purchase funding four meals.
sold
Photo by Susan Wolfe
A KANSAS CHILDHOOD
Lawrence Public Library
Lawrence, KS 2021
Midwestern Childhood
Child-sized dress made from embroidered and painted maps of Kansas. The center panel is smocked.
This smocked dress made with maps of Kansas was made to benefit to the Lawrence Percolator arts space. 100% of the proceeds will be donated to the Percolator
sold
Photo by Susan Wolfe
A KANSAS CHILDHOOD
Lawrence Public Library
Lawrence, KS 2021
Lucinda Leads the Way
Doll-sized dress made from embroidered and crocheted maps of Kansas. The dress is trimmed with organza lace.
Forced to give up her teaching career because she married, Lucinda Todd turned her focus toward advocacy, serving as the secretary of the Topeka Chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) beginning in 1948. Todd fought to advance educational opportunities for African American students and played a key role in the Brown v. Board of Education lawsuit, which resulted in the U.S. Supreme Court decision striking down school segregation.
sold
Photo by Susan Wolfe
A KANSAS CHILDHOOD
Lawrence Public Library
Lawrence, KS 2021
Mamie Teaches Us
Child-sized dress made from embroidered maps of Old West Lawrence Kansas. The dress is trimmed with lace.
Lawrence native born in 1874, throughout her career Mary J. “Mamie” Dillard was an African American educator, clubwoman and suffragist who was involved in promoting rights and votes for women and civil rights and leadership for African Americans. She taught and encouraged a young Langston Hughes and continued to support him in his career. She remained active throughout her life in numerous women’s organizations that focused on leadership, suffrage, and literature.
sold
Photo by Susan Wolfe
A KANSAS CHILDHOOD
Lawrence Public Library
Lawrence, KS 2021
Lucy's Long Summer
Child-sized dress made from embroidered and gouache painted maps of Kansas. The dress is trimmed with vintage ribbon and milliner flowers.
Lucy Hobbs Taylor was an American school teacher and a dentist, known for being the first woman to graduate from dental school in 1866. She moved with her husband to Lawrence in 1867 and trained him in the dental arts. They had a successful practice and after her husband's death, Taylor became more active in politics, campaigning for greater women's rights. In her time as a dentist, Lucy Hobbs Taylor opened up brand new doors to many women in the future, especially the medical field doors. She believed that her journey was complete by "making it possible for women to be recognized in the dental profession on equal terms with men”.
sold
Photo by Susan Wolfe
A KANSAS CHILDHOOD
Lawrence Public Library
Lawrence, KS 2021
Hanna's River
Child-sized dress made from embroidered and guoache painted maps of Kansas.
Increasingly interested in the abolitionist movement and the westward expansion, Hannah H. Ropes and her daughter moved to Lawrence Kansas in 1855. During this period she was increasingly politically active and well connected. She wrote a novel, Cranston House and also published Six Months in Kansas. Later she served as a nurse in the Civil War beside Louisa May Alcott.
sold
Photo by Susan Wolfe
A KANSAS CHILDHOOD
Lawrence Public Library
Lawrence, KS 2021
Lutie's Rose Garden
Child-sized dress made from embroidered and gouache painted maps of Kansas. This dress is trimmed with velvet ribbon and jewels.
Luie Lytle was the first African American to be admitted to the Kansas bar. After attending college in Nashville, TN she returned to Topeka in 1897 to practice law.
"I conceived the idea of studying law in a printing office where I worked for years as a compositor," Lutie said during an interview 1897. "I read the newspaper exchanges a great deal and became impressed with the knowledge of the fact that my own people especially were the victims of legal ignorance. I resolved to fathom its depths and penetrate its mysteries and intricacies in hopes of being a benefit to my people."
Donated
Photo by Susan Wolfe
A KANSAS CHILDHOOD
Lawrence Public Library
Lawrence, KS 2021
Nanon Puts on a Play
Child-sized die-cut maps of the ocean and maps of Kansas.
Nanon Lee Herren, born in Lawrence in 1879, was the only female instructor, out of 600, at Beaune University, an American University located south of Dijon, France.
After the war, she had her own theater/studio in Topeka to give instruction in drama. She created the Legal News, of which she was the initiator, owner and publisher. She received first prize from Kansas Press Women for her play to promote the sale of war bonds.
sold
Photo by Susan Wolfe
A KANSAS CHILDHOOD
Lawrence Public Library
Lawrence, KS 2021
Helen's Neighborhood
Doll-sized dress made of maps of Old West Lawrence, Kansas and trimmed with lace and milliner flowers
Helen Rhoda Hoopes was the first woman to edit the University Daily Kansan in 1914. After she received her master’s degree Hoopes taught English at KU until 1947. During her time at KU Hoopes helped establish the Gamma Phi Beta sorority chapter, the KU Quill Club, Pi Lambda Theta–a national teacher’s honorary society, and Theta Sigma Phi–a women’s journalism society.
sold
Photo by Susan Wolfe
A KANSAS CHILDHOOD
Lawrence Public Library
Lawrence, KS 2021
Kathryn Forges Ahead
Doll-sized dress made of maps of Kansas and oceanic currents. This dress is embroidered and trimmed with fringe.
Kathryn O’Loughlin McCarthy was the first woman from Kansas in the U.S. House of Representatives. Born and raised in Hays, KS, Kathryn obtained her law degree from the University of Chicago and passed the Kansas bar in 1929.
During her campaign for Congress in 1932 she defeated eight men in the Democratic primary, traveled approximately 30,000 miles, and gave as many as 12 speeches per day. As congresswoman, McCarthy was active in influencing New Deal agricultural policy. O'Loughlin continued to help others after her political career ended. She paid tuition at Fort Hays State University and housed many low-income African American students. She also advocated for better treatment of women in the state's prisons.
sold
Photo by Susan Wolfe
A KANSAS CHILDHOOD
Lawrence Public Library
Lawrence, KS 2021
Lucy's Lands
Child-sized dress made from embroidered maps of Kansas and soil survey maps.
Lucy Tayiah Eads was the first woman to serve as principal chief of the Kaw Nation, Lucy Tayiah Eads was born in 1888. Orphaned at 5, she and her brother were adopted by Chief Washungah. She later was trained as a nurse at Haskell Institute in Lawrence. In November 1922 the people elected Eads the first female chief of the Kaw.
In 1924 Eads delivered a petition to the Commission of Indian Affairs in Washington, D.C., to reestablish the Kaw Agency. She was invited to the 1929 presidential inauguration for Herbert Hoover and Charles Curtis, vice president from Kansas, and fellow Kaw.
sold
Photo by Susan Wolfe
A KANSAS CHILDHOOD
Lawrence Public Library
Lawrence, KS 2021
Florella's Forest
Child-sized dress and pantaloons made from gouache painted maps of Kansas and dictionary pages.
Florella Brown Adair, was John Brown’s half-sister. With her pastor husband, she built the first congregational church of Osawatamie. Her home was a station on the Underground Railroad and served as John Brown’s headquarters.
sold
Photo by Susan Wolfe
A KANSAS CHILDHOOD
Lawrence Public Library
Lawrence, KS 2021
A new home for Elizabeth
Child-sized dress made from embroidered maps of Kansas and aeronautical maps.
Elizabeth Evans Rivard was the first woman at KU’s Architecture Department and in 1922 graduated with honors.
During her career, Evans specialized in moderately sized homes for first-time home buyers and young families. She commissioned more than 200 buildings over the course of her career including ones from Mission Hills to Paseo Boulevard. Her work was featured in The Saturday Evening Post in 1924.
sold
Photo by Susan Wolfe
A KANSAS CHILDHOOD
Lawrence Public Library
Lawrence, KS 2021
Esther Remembers
Doll-sized dress made of vintage maps of Lawrence Kansas. Embroidered and trimmed with velvet ribbon and doll buttons.
As a student at KU Esther M. Clark Hill
wrote for the Lawrence Journal. In 1907 she wrote the acclaimed poem, "Call of Kansas.” In addition to working for the Coffeyville Journal, other Kansas newspapers, and a St. Joseph newspaper, she worked in the extension department at the University of Kansas. Hill was a charter member of the Midland Authors club and she published three volumes of poetry during her life.
sold
Photo by Susan Wolfe
A KANSAS CHILDHOOD
Lawrence Public Library
Lawrence, KS 2021
Carrie has faith
Child-sized dress made of embroidered maps of Kansas. 1970's image transfers from Landscape Architectural drawings applied to the skirt.
Carrie Langston Hughes wrote for the Atchison Blade advocating for woman’s suffrage and equal women’s rights in society. In Lawrence, she was active in the Saint Luke A.M.E. Church and helped to organize the Inter-State Literary Association. She entered the University of Kansas in 1894 and was appointed deputy clerk of the Douglas County courthouse in 1895.
sold
Photo by Susan Wolfe
A KANSAS CHILDHOOD
Lawrence Public Library
Lawrence, KS 2021
Rising with Mamie
Child-sized dress made of embroidered USGS topo maps of Kansas. Smocking, paper lace and photos of Kansas children for decoration.
Mamie L. Williams graduated with honors from Washburn University in 1915 as the only African American student. Mamie taught and was Principal in the Topeka Public School system for 42 years and in 1956 traveled around the world with the National Education Association promoting educational values. In 1965 she was appointed to the Kansas Commission on the Status of Women, served as a delegate to the 1971 White House Conference on Aging.
In 1996, the Williams Science and Fine Arts Elementary Magnet School, named in honor of Ms. Williams, opened its doors.
donated
Photo by Susan Wolfe
ANNUAL ARTS AUCTION
Lawrence Arts Center
Lawrence Kansas 2019
MADEMOISELLE PRINTEMPS
Mademoiselle Printemps dress and coat are made from pages of a French language primer. The lapels of the jacket is edged with French stamps. This piece also includes a watch from Kathryn. The skirt is painted with stylized trees and clouds from the Buford M. Watson Park in Lawrence Kansas. It has a metal fencing armature and is approximately three feet tall.
DONATED
Photo by Susan Wolfe
ANNUAL ARTS AUCTION
Lawrence Arts Center
Lawrence Kansas 2011
JANE AUSTEN
Jane Austen's dress is made from vintage maps of states printed in pink. The shrug is made from painted maps of the ocean. The piece is embellished with pages from Pride and Prejudice and painted origami roses. It has a metal fencing armature and is approximately three feet tall.
DONATED
Photo by Susan Wolfe
LA SIGNORA VIOLA
Private Commission
Lawrence Kansas 2019
LA SIGNORA VIOLA
The skirt is created with vintage Italian handwritten and typed letters and deeds with tissue paper pleats. The bodice is made with a finely pleated map of Italy. The dress is embellished with miniature flowers made with cardstock and beads. There is a chipboard armature. This piece is sixteen and a half inches tall.
SOLD
Photo by Susan Wolfe
FORMIDABLE WOMEN
Percolator Arts Space
Lawrence Kansas 2019
MARY WOLLSTONECRAFT SHELLEY
Mary Shelley is made from painted and textured pages of Frankenstein. She is embellished with satin ribbon and embroidery stitches. There is a metal fencing armature. This piece is approximately three feet tall. This sculpture has been created for a solo show at the Percolator Arts Space opening September 27th 2019.
Photo by Susan Wolfe
FORMIDABLE WOMEN
Percolator Arts Space
Lawrence Kansas 2019
MARIE ANTOINETTE
Marie Antoinette is made from 2016 tax forms and dollar bills. There is a metal fencing armature. This piece is approximately two and a half feet tall. This sculpture was created for a solo show at the Percolator Arts Space in Lawrence KS.
Sold
Photo by Susan Wolfe
FORMIDABLE WOMEN
Percolator Arts Space
Lawrence Kansas 2019
MADAME CJ WALKER
Madame CJ Walker's skirt and blouse are made from pages of On Her Own Ground: The Life and Times of Madame CJ Walker. The full length 1910 coat with pockets, buttons and frog clasps was made from "fabric" digitally designed with MCJW's business advertisements. There is a metal fencing armature. This piece is approximately three feet tall. This sculpture was created for a solo show at the Percolator Arts Space in Lawrence KS.
Photo by Susan Wolfe
FORMIDABLE WOMEN
Percolator Arts Space
Lawrence Kansas 2019
MARIE CURIE
Marie Curie's dress is made from X-ray film. Her cuffs, belt and ruffles are made from rice paper with chemistry equations printed in white. There is a metal fencing armature. She is best seen with a light within. Approximately two and half feet tall. This sculpture was created for a solo show at the Percolator Arts Space in Lawrence KS.
NFS
Photo by Susan Wolfe
FORMIDABLE WOMEN
Percolator Arts Space
Lawrence Kansas 2019
MARY SIDNEY HERBERT
Mary Sidney Herbert's skirts are made from digitally-composed handwritten and printed documents from the Elizabethan era, large scale printed and then embellished with gold ribbon and wax seals with an impression of a bird from her coat of arms. Her bodice and shoulder-to-floor cutaway sleeves are made from stenciled and painted pages of her poetry and prose. The ruff is made from quilled strips of cardstock. The cuffs are made from tracing paper and she has a metal fencing armature. This sculpture was created for a solo show at the Percolator Arts Space in Lawrence KS.
SOLD
Photo by Susan Wolfe
FORMIDABLE WOMEN
Percolator Arts Space
Lawrence Kansas 2019
MARY TODD LINCOLN
Mary Todd Lincoln's 1860 dress is made of photos from the Civil War, rice paper, buttons and satin ribbon with a fencing armature. Approximately three feet tall. This sculpture was created for a solo show at the Percolator Arts Space in Lawrence KS.
Photo by Susan Wolfe
BLOOMING FIGURES
North Park Center Flower and Garden Show
Dallas, Texas 2018
FRIDA KAHLO
This is an interpretation of Frida Kahlo's Tehuana style. The skirt is made from hand painted Spanish language novel pages, the ruffle is made of maps of Mexico and her shirt is created from pages of Karl Marx's Communist Manifesto. She also has a paper sash, cardstock bead necklace, and tissue paper flowers. There is a metal fencing armature and ribbon embroidery. This sculpture is approximately four feet tall.
SOLD
Photo by Susan Wolfe
BLOOMING FIGURES
North Park Center Flower and Garden Show
Dallas, Texas 2018
JOAN OF ARC
Joan of Arc's skirt is made from French roadmaps, her armor is made from photos of castles from the Loire Valley and photos of Joan of Arc statues, her broadsword is made with foam core. The piece also includes a leather belt, faux leather shoulder and armor plate straps, origami iris and cardstock leaves and stems. There is a metal fencing armature. The sculpture is approximately three feet tall.
SOLD
Photo by Susan Wolfe
BLOOMING FIGURES
North Park Center Flower and Garden Show
Dallas, Texas 2018
JANE AUSTEN
Jane Austen's Regency-era dress is made from pattern painted pages from Sense and Sensibility, pink cardstock flowers, vintage ribbon, paper lace, tissue paper and a metal fencing armature. It is approximately three feet tall.
SOLD
Photo by Susan Wolfe
BLOOMING FIGURES
North Park Center Flower and Garden Show
Dallas, Texas 2018
TITANIA
Titania from Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream. Made with pages from the play, flowers made from dictionary pages, tissue paper, and wire, Kansas topographic maps, faux flower stamen, stenciled butterflies, stick-on jewels, hand-made rice paper, metal fencing armature. Approximately four feet tall.
SOLD
Photo by Susan Wolfe
BLOOMING FIGURES
North Park Center Flower and Garden Show
Dallas, Texas 2018
QUEEN VICTORIA
Queen Victoria is made from Victorian-era vintage floral illustrations digitally composed into "fabric". Tissue paper and faux flower leaves and stamen, metal fencing armature. Approximately 3 feet tall.
SOLD
Photo by Susan Wolfe
BACKSTAGE
AT THE GLOBE
Jemez Springs Fine Art Gallery
Joint show with Jim Forcier-Call
Jemez Springs, New Mexico 2017
JULIET
From Shakespeare's play: Romeo and Juliet. Made with stenciled pages from the play, beads, tissue paper, and a metal armature. Approximately 3 feet tall.
SOLD
Photo by Susan Wolfe
BACKSTAGE
AT THE GLOBE
Jemez Springs Fine Art Gallery
Joint show with Jim Forcier-Call
Jemez Springs, New Mexico 2017
DESDAMONA
From Shakespeare's play: Othello. Made with stenciled pages from Othello, faux pearls, brass cross, velvet ribbon, Christian Romanesque Icon paintings, and a metal armature. The contrast between the Christian Icon images and the Middle Eastern painted patterns reflect the marriage of Desdamona and Othello. Approximately 3 feet tall.
Photo by Susan Wolfe
BACKSTAGE
AT THE GLOBE
Jemez Springs Fine Art Gallery
Joint show with Jim Forcier-Call
Jemez Springs, New Mexico 2017
OPHELIA
From Shakespeare's play: Hamlet. Made with stenciled pages from Hamlet, tissue paper "fur", quilted pages of the DSM-4, beads, chain and fencing armature. Ophelia's underskirt, made with the DSM-4 reflects her mental illness and the cut flowers and branches reaching off the back of her skirt represent the reeds and plants catching at her in the water. Approximately 3 feet tall.
SOLD
Photo by Susan Wolfe
BACKSTAGE
AT THE GLOBE
Jemez Springs Fine Art Gallery
Joint show with Jim Forcier-Call
Jemez Springs, New Mexico 2017
ARIEL
From Shakespeare's The Tempest
Made with pages from The Tempest, security envelopes die cut into scales. embroidery thread,and a metal fencing armature. This garment was created as a costume for any gender as the character of Ariel has been played by both men and women over time. Approximately 3 feet tall.
Photo by Susan Wolfe
BACKSTAGE
AT THE GLOBE
Jemez Springs Fine Art Gallery
Joint show with Jim Forcier-Call
Jemez Springs, New Mexico 2017
TITANIA, QUEEN OF THE FAIRIES
From Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream
Made with Pages from A Midsummer's Night Dream, Kansas topographic maps, pages from a dictionary, handmade rice paper, tissue paper, velvet ribbon, metal fencing armature. Approximately 4 feet tall.
SOLD
Photo by Susan Wolfe