In collaboration, Mosher and Genosko use printmaking and textile processes to illustrate their experiences as essential workers during the COVID-19 pandemic. They are both professional artists who were employed in ‘casual’ day jobs in sectors that were labeled essential and became full-time during the COVID-19 pandemic: the Nova Scotia Liquor Corporation and Canada Post, respectively. With their similar experiences they dig deeper into the ‘essential’ label where art and work don’t often intersect. They explore the repetitive nature of labour through the repetitive nature of printmaking, and create images relevant to their experience; the images are printed on the uniforms they and their coworkers wore during their time of essential sector work. Folk quilting traditionally uses old clothes and other found materials for utility, and the shape of the garments inform the geometry of the quilt. The uniforms are sewn into quilted banners that do not follow a traditional repeating pattern or conform to a rectangle, but rather use patchwork and appliqué techniques to create an uncertain feeling. This method reflects the ever-changing and disjointed nature of the pandemic.
Sarah’s instagram is @realpzzazz
Two large quilts on display at the Bus Stop Theatre, April 1st to June 30th
