Andreana Donahue, Mixed Media
To “winter over” means to spend, endure, or survive a winter. The artwork in Andreana Donahue’s series Wintering Overrelates to time she spent in a residency in Iceland. Donahue is making work that responds to extreme environments including Antarctica and Alaska”“where she spent a year making work”“and how individuals adapt to these conditions.
Donahue has an ongoing interest in site-specific narratives and culture, as well as the history of abstraction and textile art”“specifically quilt-making. The textiles, patterns, natural dyes, and other materials she uses are locally sourced, often reflecting season and landscape, as well as possible romantic and/or utilitarian uses of each quilt. Her recent work re-imagines traditional Amish abstract quilts and the improvisational patterns typified by the African-American quilters of Gees Bend.
The Lone Star (Remembrance Quilt) was installed during a residency in Corsicana, Texas. The quilt is composed of denim and used mechanics’ rags sourced in the town. It references the history of the studio she worked in, a building constructed in 1890 where seamstresses once worked.
