Orly Cogan: Feminist fantasy on ‘forgotten’ fabrics

An avid collector of vintage printed fabrics and found embroideries for over 20 years, New York fibre artist Orly Cogan uses hand embroidery to modernize their appearance, altering their original purpose and revolutionizing the story of the women who created them. Seeing herself as a collaborator with these female makers from more modest eras, Orly uses stitch to incorporate into their work the unladylike reality and wit that she sees as more common to the women of today.

Aware of modern stereotypes which, she believes, must be overcome, Orly highlights the differences between the struggles contemporary women face and those of the earlier generation who would have originally embroidered the textiles to “feminize” their homes.

Orly is drawn to the space between – dichotomies such as soft and tough, dirty and clean, fantasy and reality, especially as related to gender. She explores common feminine archetypes and stereotypes, such as Madonna/Whore, Pin-Up Girl, Lolita, and the Femme Fatale and she mixes subversion with flirtation, humour with power, and intimacy with frivolity.

She considers that the fabric becomes the foundation for a fantastical exploration.