Margarita Cabrera

I was impressed by the layers of meaning within the works of Margarita Cabrera. I responded to Cabrera's conscious use of materials to create her pieces and the political messages within her work. I am particularly interested in artists--or anyone, really--who breaks boundaries in their work, and Cabrera does just that in  many ways. The institution of the art world can often seem like an uncompromising place where certain norms indicate whether an artist is a "fine artist"...or something else. I feel like Cabrera, who is formally trained as fine artist, intentionally plays with that imaginary boundary through the use of fabric and sewing in many of her pieces. Fabric and sewing is frequently associated with craft-art, a form of creativity that is often deemed less refined than what is commonly considered "fine art". Cabrera's merging of these materials with her fine art sculptural sensibilities calls into question these institutional artistic boundaries. This boundary is further brought into question through her subject of a sewing machine--which directly references crafting, sewing, and labor. The color pink genders the piece, compelling the viewer to ask questions about the lack of recognition, and lack of institutional representation of the works of female artists, artisans, and creative laborers.