Fragments from a Discarded Civilization

One third of our life is spent in bed, lying on a mattress. It is on a bed where life is conceived and where it ends. It is where we rejuvenate and convalesce. Mattresses are the storehouses of our dreams.

Fragments from a Discarded Civilization is a selection of the more than 100 textiles fragments I have collected from discarded mattresses over the past fifteen months.

All that is known about the history of each fragment is the location of it's excavation and, in some cases, anecdotal information on the conditions under which it was found. It is this uncertain history of each fragment that forces the viewer to become an "armchair" archaeologist interpreting the fragments based on personal history and experience and possible knowledge of the excavation site.

Some fragments have been left in their original found state while others have been augmented and embellished with gold pigments, metallic threads, pearls, beads and sequins. These augmented fragments become glorifications of domestic situations and daily rituals.

These fragments function as a map, albeit a very specialized one, of the city I live in, Ottawa.

I would like to thank all of the individuals and organizations who helped in the production of this web-site: the members of the Enriched Bread Artists, Brandon Matheson and Capital Xtra, Alexandre Castonguay and ArtEngine for the opportunity, Bob Read for everything and Andrew Griffin for his love and support.

1997 © Carl Stewart