Sarah Bertrand-Hamel’s new exhibit, Contingencies, at the Joyce Yahouda Gallery is a perfect introduction to her unusual practice. In this series Bertrand-Hamel has cut and sewn together pieces of paper like a quilt. Some of these works are from paper she made herself, while others have designs and images painted and printed on them. This form of practice brings together craft and fine arts as Bertrand-Hamel uses techniques such as sewing and paper making to produce works of art.

Cutting and sewing together fragments of paper Bertrand-Hamel makes something out of something. Thinking about these works I find myself at a loss as to what to call them. Hanging on the wall, they are almost sculptural. She draws with a needle and thread, creating works that that are layered with texture and at times even moulded into three-dimensional shapes. Différenciation I, for example, is completely grey, bulging at the bottom while the top is assembled with cut pieces of handmade paper in the form of snowflakes. White thread hangs below, implying that this work is incomplete and more paper could be sewn on at a moment’s notice. L’origine des losanges is more symmetrical. Something between a circle and a square, the work is ink jet print and watercolour on sewn paper. Lying flatter and closer to the wall, the white pieces of paper have mismatched designs and drawings on them, like a quilt. In its current state the work is two-dimensional; however, the act of drawing and assembling pieces of paper in this manner harks back to craft and the utility in sewing and quilting. These works stand as visual objects to be enjoyed, but they also refer to the ancient traditions of women’s work.

Joyce Yahouda Gallery, space 516
Sarah Bertrand-Hamel
Contingencies
March 24 – April 28, 2012
http://joyceyahoudagallery.com