Love Decoded

Love Decoded, 2019

In Love Decoded, 2019, I interweave photographs, colored handkerchiefs, cotton and leather to examine the inner workings and the visceral charges of sexual connection, as they manifest in the context of everyday life.  Dually born out of an inherited vintage gay porn collection and the “Hanky Code” widely used by gay and bisexual men in the 1970s, this quilt embeds layers of meaning, coded languages and symbolism, open to multiple interpretations and varying experiences. 

The fabric designs are created from hand-drawn illustrations depicting two men in various forms of embrace: a gentle grasp of a foot, two hands interlaced, a head tucked into the arm of the other, a hug from behind. While these images are not explicit in nature, at the time of their creation they were relegated and confined to the same illegal category as more illicit porn. Simple, tender moments between men deemed criminal.  In turn, gay and bisexual men developed codes, internal community methods of communication, which provided opportunities for connection while ensuring safety.

My quilts are not intended to be precious - they are to be grasped, squeezed, cloaked around you, draped over you, shared - varying haptic experiences mirroring the “porn” images depicted within.