Flight and Plight

Marina Cruz expands the material and conceptual possibilities of her painting practice by incorporating embroidery directly onto her oil paintings of children’s garments. Known for her works based on antique heirlooms, Cruz’s paintings convey the delicate beauty and craftsmanship of hand-stitched garments that hold the invisible imprints of memory and time. In Flight and Plight, (2017), Cruz depicts a child’s school uniform, its stained sleeves, deep creases, and classic collar lending it a distinctive vintage feel. The garment’s form has been decorated with embroidered designs of balloons in flight, foliage and flowers, religious symbols, and images of her aunt reaching new heights through books and her determination. The simple stitching of her embroidery complements the child-like innocence evoked by the garment. In combining thread with painting, Cruz's work presents an ongoing dialogue between past and present, medium and material, art and craft.