Local artist Judy Tomlin will be unveiling her first solo exhibition, Treasured Textiles: Artistic Reuse of Thrifted and Gifted Fabrics, at Arts Underground from April 5 to 27
When Judy Tomlin sees landfills and thrift stores overflowing with discarded clothing, as a result of the current fast-fashion industry, she also sees an opportunity to give the used textiles new life by turning them into art pieces.
“Making is something that’s just part of me and needs to come out in some way,” the artist explained. “My family have been creative makers for many years, and that started for me in my childhood when my mom taught me to sew both by hand and by machine.”
The fast-fashion industry is a double-edged sword for Tomlin, as it supplies her with endless amounts of fabrics and textiles with which she can work, but also frustrates her in the damage it does to the world. Careful not to sound preachy, she hopes her work can inspire others to reuse items rather than throwing them away.
“All through my life, mending things, fixing things and using what’s available was always something I did,” Tomlin said. “Before recycling and reusing was something we thought of in the way we do now, I have memories like my grandmother using the lenses from her old eyeglasses and artwork from greeting cards she’d been given, to make brooches.”
Tomlin said there is always an overabundance of textiles that are, sadly, no longer wanted, and she has a surplus of her own that she’s collected with the intention of transforming them into art pieces. The simple realization that she would never run out of materials, using recycled textiles to make her art, led her to come up with the concept for her new exhibition. Tomlin said that currently she has closets and laundry hampers completely full of old clothing she intends to incorporate into future pieces.
“Even though I use it all the time, I can’t stay on top of it,” she said. “I can’t use as much as I could get if I wanted, and people are always trying to give me more, but I have to say no because I just can’t store any more.”
In her artistic approach, Tomlin takes inspiration from the beauty of the world around her, combining her penchant for reusing with her fascination with nature. She uses multiple approaches across her pieces, including applique, quilting, free-motion machine stitching, hand embroidery and needle felting.
With her exhibition coming up, Tomlin admitted she is nervous for the opening but is doing her best to take things day by day and to make sure she is prepared.
“This is my first solo exhibition, so it’s a bit overwhelming at times, but I’m getting there,” she said.
Tomlin’s first solo exhibition, Treasured Textiles: Artistic Reuse of Thrifted and Gifted Fabrics, will be on display at the Arts Underground Focus Gallery from April 5 to 27, with an opening reception April 5 from 5 to 7 p.m., and an artist’s demonstration April 13 from 1 to 4 p.m. For more about Tomlin and her work, visit artsunderground.ca/exhibition-archive/treasured-textiles.
