LOVE ME TENDER
This series combines images from the infamous “Tijuana Bibles” – underground pornographic booklets printed from the 1920’s to “40’s – with lewd Japanese comics and sewing patterns in a complexity of layered forms, drawn elements and close value color. The Bibles titillate and satirize our values through the exploits of celebrities and folk heroes. While seemingly sweet, the collages disguise the forbidden with the patterns referencing “good girls” industriously sewing in contrast with the ribald activity of the bad girls. My working process is additive, intuitive and uses found materials related to the traditions of sewing, quilting and stitchery . While Elvis does not appear, the collages are named for his songs because of his charge of sexuality, forbidden impulses, sly smile, bad taste and because … afterwards, things were never the same.