Hanging In

Beverly Gordon

Sanctuary often comes in the safety of a group, and it is in circles that we can be fully seen. This piece is about remaining present for one another—“hanging together.” The suspended elements are primarily made of (pig) gut (used in sausage casing), a surprisingly beautiful material that reminds us of our biological, animal nature. When “Hanging In” was new, the strands were each about 3” wide and creamy white, with a quality almost like parchment. They were entwined with dyed mohair, raffia palm fiber, mica rings, wood, and sticks from the site. The piece looked quite ephemeral swinging with the breeze. Over time, rain, wind and airborne dust changed its appearance; when this photograph was taken, the gut had darkened and the repeatedly moistened strands shrank and stuck to one another, becoming more like entangled cords. Still, they moved gracefully together, still sharing sanctuary.

Beverly Gordon recently retired from 30 years as a professor in Design Studies at UW-Madison, where she taught classes relating to design and our cultural environment. She is a writer (most recent book: Textiles: The Whole Story: Uses, Meanings, Significance), and a visual artist whose work typically involves re-contextualization—repositioning and reusing images in collage.

Beverly Gordon's website