Domenica Queen

I am a Hispappalachian (Hispanic & Appalachian) fiber artist using heritage textile and fiber art techniques to create heirloom artworks from common single-use household plastics. I cut discarded plastic bags into strips and use rug hooking, braiding and embroidery techniques to create works of art like wall hangings, baskets and sculptures. Content ranges from floral to abstract and ambiguous. My color palette comes solely from the inherent color of the material. The ever present folk arts of the region have influenced my practice to begin incorporating traditional hand spinning and weaving. Through these processes I turn plastic bags into plarn, plastic yarn that is substituted for more common material. West Virginians are known for their resourcefulness and resilience. “Making do” for generations has led to repurposing and reusing all kinds of materials, long before recycling became a trend to combat wasteful overconsumption.

My goal with this work is to shift the developed world’s collective view of plastic from “disposable” to “heirloom material” by highlighting its operational life through the context of heritage crafts. By putting the material in an unusual context, I’m asking people to reconsider their relationship to single use plastics – asking them to hold the tension and complexity of living in a world that prioritizes speed and profit to the point of extreme environmental waste. Plastic takes 20 to 500 years to break down, and it never really goes away. Through my work, I propose that we acknowledge it as a “legacy material,” though we treat it as disposable in our daily lives. The heritage craft techniques I apply to plastic require time and attention that contradicts the expediency of everyday interactions with single use plastics.

The aesthetics of the work are heavily influenced by the ornate swirls, natural forms and whimsey of Catalan Modernism and Art Nouveau. The content of the work is equally likely to feature colorful mosaic-style Gaudi-esque abstractions, swirling botanical compositions, or stitches that would be at home on a hanky your grandmother made. The lively and often beautiful forms serve to capture attention and obscure the nature of the material for a moment, creating the opportunity for surprise & a reconsideration of the material itself.

Plastic is an heirloom material.