Jean Corby, submitted artwork
Jean Corby
Painting
Brooklyn, N.Y.
Jean Corby is an accomplished NYC interior designer whose work took her around the world planning stores and restaurants for international and domestic clients. She grew up in rural Connecticut where her childhood days were surrounded by nature then headed to Syracuse University where she received a BFA in design. Ms Corby’s early passion for sewing and drawing is the inspiration for her art process that uses embroidery machines to “paint” on canvas. Her work is in private collections in NYC, WestChester, Bedford, Santa Cruz, Brooklyn, and Florida. She currently resides in Brooklyn, N.Y. where she raised her family.
Works
Jean Corby, submitted artwork
My mixed media art benefits from the cultural coding of its machine embroidered artistry. Though the process incorporates computer technology, the stitching recalls familial heirlooms passed down through generations of sewers. I stitch embroidery onto energetically painted canvases to create art that pays homage to the ancient while presenting a contemporary message. I am inspired by the natural world ranging from landscape vistas to the microscopic plant details of Karl Blossfeldt’s black and white photography. Capitalizing on the power of beauty to attract, I created a piece that draws the viewer in where they would be exposed to a deeper message. In “Uprooted”, the canvas is alive with swirling embroideries of various wildflowers. Placed between them are small stitched figures of men and women floating uprooted against a darkly painted ominous sky. The figures and plants have a snarl of roots protruding from their feet and stems creating a scene of upheaval, chaos, and uncertainty.
