PEACE FLAG PIECE

K. Pannepacker, 2002
Tapestry technique: wool, corron, silk, jute, acrylic, and aluminum foil
46" x 52"

I began this tapestry just after September 11th's tragedy in the United States. Yes, this is a political piece. How can it not be? You see the American flag with the dancing stars, the peace sign, and the stripes of background colors. the whole 'while' of weaving was a continual sitting-at-my-loom peace-vigil; sometimes listening to N.P.R., sometimes working in silence...each time passing the yarn through the warp with a gesture of 'bless, bless, blessingsto the world...'

T he tapestry speaks subtly of duplicity too. Ok. so it reads like a peace symbol, but is it not as the Mercedes Benz symbol? With the image of the American flag and this 'symbol', I speak of our money-hungry culture. and how money influences every decision..., in war and in peace. And I wove the aluminum foil to represent metal and guns and such. But it's shiny and pretty and bold against the array of background colors... oh, the diversity of us all...

Let there be peace on earth and let it begin with each of us, each new day.

Kathryn Pannepacker
Textile/Visual Artist
kpanne@aol.com