VANISHING

ARTIST

Susan Heller

As far back as I can remember I was always sewing something—making things. I think I was born with “busy hands”. So it was inevitable that as an adult I would find my way to quilt making. I use my quilts to explore states of mind – how different experiences make me feel. I use various techniques, eg. appliqué, embroidery and frame my pieces as they “tell me” to.
My work has been exhibited in various venues in the San Francisco Bay Area and Northern CA.

COUNTRY

United States

PROJECT

Disappearing into Alzheimer’s

My father slowly disappeared from his body as the Amyloid Plaques of Alzheimer’s disease slowly took over his brain. His sweet personality would creep through in spite of his struggle to hang on to reality. I used the same image in all 5 panels to indicate that. I lightly hand quilted them and then embroidered my graphic interpretation of the tangles of plaques descending on him until he ‘disappears’ behind them. Each of the 5 panels float within a dark brown frame.