Pieces of Yesterday

A solo exhibition by Jeannie Worley

ARTIST BIO

I am a collage artist residing in Southern Indiana. I specialize in embroidered photographs and mixed media analog collage. I find joy creating something new out of orphaned photos, books, old letters, junk mail, maps and postcards, etc. I have a soft spot for items that would have otherwise been discarded. Weekly, I can be found nosing around flea markets and thrift stores for old photographs, crusty books, yellowed magazines and the like. Transforming these forgotten items into something new creates a sustainable, never-ending source of materials and inspiration. Creating is like therapy for me, I’m happiest at my table, covered in papers and photos, with scissors and glue, ready to make a new piece. My work has been exhibited in virtual and local exhibitions and art galleries. I’m a regular participant in Yart, a biannual art fair. My collage work has been published in Photo Trouvee Magazine’s Echoes of Yesterday book and The Mini Collage Collective’s 2023 Look Book. I live in Evansville with my partner, the artist Gary Logan Hobdy and our two spoiled cats.

ARTIST STATEMENT

My evolution as an artist began with my fine art photography work. After a couple of decades of photography exploration, I began to turn to embroidering my own photos, which morphed into embroidering vintage snapshots and has grown into the analog collage work that I create today. My exhibition is a survey of what I have explored, experimented with and learned in the past 4 years. The embroidered landscape photos are from a life changing trip to New Mexico. It is a magical, ancient place. I felt different out there, in the best way. I wanted to show the energy of the rocks and mountains and sky. The collaged and/or embroidered vintage portraits, or Altered Ancestors, were created to give new life to discarded family photos. Images of real people, lost in time, tossed out after someone has passed are items that I feel honored to be able to utilize. The other analog collage work includes use of my ever-growing Paper Horde. Old magazines, books, maps, junk mail, sheet music, food packaging, postage stamps, sewing patterns and maps are just a few of the items that I’ve used in my pieces. I believe that collage is for everyone and it’s something that anyone can do. It can be very therapeutic and a great way to pass a creative afternoon. All you need to start is scissors, a glue stick, and paper . I hope you’re inspired to try it yourself sometime.