Carole Loeffler

I scour the shelves, bins, and racks at thrift stores for vintage photos, suitcases, quilts, greeting cards, pillowcases, clothing, and ephemera from everyday life. Of particular excitement and interest to me is discovering evidence from the previous owner…handwriting on the back of a photograph or greeting card, stitches in a quilt, or on a handmade garment. I feel a strong connection to an anonymous person from an unknown time and place. The power of mark-making and stitches bind us together in humanity and suggest imagined narratives and a renewed purpose. Domestic textiles become imbued with the spirit of my imagined foremothers - emblazoned with positive affirmations – as if the spirit of the maker comes to life and offers solace and support. I connect with the women contained in vintage photographs and contemplate how best to share their stories. Greeting cards offer examples of long-ago friendships and connection and they become pattern, color, and material for collages. Suitcases display stickers of the places they’ve been and serve as functional storage, installation props, and literal reminders of the baggage we carry. I am the caretaker of these thrifted and found objects and the messenger from which their stories flow.
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