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Merill Comeau

Concord, MA

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  1. Crab Apple by Merill Comeau, Image 12.

    Merill Comeau

    Crab Apple, 2000

    Mixed Media

    23 x 28 in

Embracing installations, wall hangings, paintings, and garments, my work mines autobiography and investigates current socio-political issues. I am also inspired by traditions of craft and the history of ‘women’s work.’ My choices of materials and processes are informed by trauma and feminism; I employ worn fabrics of the domestic sphere and the mark making of stitch to convey narratives of mending and endurance. Ninety percent of my materials are repurposed textiles -- mother-in-law’s blouse, stained tablecloth, discontinued designer prints -- each communicating identity and status while revealing lived lives and embodying memory.



I reclaim cast offs through painting, printing, stenciling, thermo-faxing, rusting, and composting layering myself onto a past creating a new enriched surface. In tandem, I often create large drawings to flesh out ideas and metaphors. My multifaceted approach uses imagery from nature as a symbol of our life cycle, text to convey or imply meaning, and abstraction to mirror the cacophony and complications of everyday life. As I stitch hundreds of snippets together, each part becomes integral to the whole, akin to the sum of the many moments that make up a lifetime.



I believe sharing individual stories is a powerful force connecting us to communal interests. When I teach, I employ written and visual techniques of discovery and symbolic translation of anecdotes enabling people to communicate the inchoate. When I construct commissioned works, my conceptual underpinning incorporates specific characteristics of context. Relational moments of listening and the exchange of tales provide me with abundant inspiration to create.



Biography



Merill Comeau’s work has been featured in over 90 exhibitions, at venues including the Fuller Craft Museum, Danforth Art Museum, Fitchburg Art Museum, Museums of Old York, MA; and the Edward M. Kennedy Institute of Boston. Her installation Family of Origin was included in FiberArt International 2019. The Institute of Contemporary Art Boston’s Art Lab is hosted her interactive project Threads of Connection in 2020. Highlights of her residencies include Hambidge Center for Art and Science, Southern New Hampshire University, Turkey Land Cove, and three month-long stays at Weir Farm National Historic Site in CT. She has exhibited at many academic institutions including Simmons College, Lasell University, Stonehill College, Dana Hall School, Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University, and Phillips Exeter Academy. Numerous publications have showcased her work, including Surface Design Journal, TextileArtist.org, Fiber Art Now, Textile Study Group of New York’s blog, The Boston Globe, Massachusetts Cultural Council’s ArtsSake blog, and World of Threads Artist Interviews.



In addition to her solo studio practice, Comeau facilitates the emergence of artistic voices through moderating artist panels, jurying exhibitions, teaching, and creating participatory community experiences. She has executed over 30 public projects resulting in individual and collaborative artworks. Comeau taught mining autobiographical stories for art-making inspiration and mark making and expressive stitching techniques at venues such as Surface Design Association’s biennial conference, Snow Farm New England Craft Program, Eliot School of Applied Arts and Craft in Boston, Design Outside the Lines in Ashland, OR, and the Island Art Center in Skolpelos Greece. Comeau also provides lectures on her work, fiber arts in a postmodern context, and visual voices of social justice.