FIRED UP // Natalie Baxter

Carlos Gallery, Nabit Art Building, Sewanee, TN

Nov 1 - Dec 16, 2017

Fired Up is an exhibition of recent works by Natalie Baxter that showcases an interpretation of the current political landscape in the United States. After Baxter’s series, Warm Gun, a collection of quilted firearms gained press, the work drew inevitable criticism from online commenters and internet trolls. Baxter explores the culture of online hate through sewn wall hangings that depict some of the comments she received, such as those that question her sexuality and her role as a woman. The work focuses on a microcosm of online hate in order to shed light on a larger conversation about the divisive nature of society and masked aggression.

Baxter’s soft sculpture work combines sewing and quilting techniques learned from her grandmother with recognizable American iconography to produce pointed cultural commentary. Her visually inviting sculptures distort male imagery, bringing ‘macho’ phrases and objects into a traditionally feminine sphere while questioning their potency.