Janice Patrignani - Working Hands

Working Hands: 2011, Wrought Iron Frame found on the Street, Earthenware, Glaze, Paint, Hardware, Wire Size: 70" x 45" x 14” Image Submitted Includes Details The inspiration for this piece is my struggle to break free of the traditional Italian girl I was raised to be versus the woman I am. The sculpture examines the meaning of women’s work by embellishing "working hands" as a commentary on the work done by women’s hands across the generations. To develop the installation, I worked with women at Stapleton Senior Center in Staten island. As they learned ceramic handbuilding techniques, I encouraged them to talk about the work their hands did throughout their lives. The senior were photographed while creating in clay and their oral histories were recorded. The overall installation combines this sculptural piece of the women’s hands in a quilt-like ceramic representation, with photographs of the women working in clay and the stories recorded during our ceramic quilting bees. For this entry I'm submitting the sculpture with out the multi-media presentation.