Empire Dress and Cartographic Dress, both 2004, are the showstoppers in Susan Stockwell’s exhibition at the jewel-box-sized Studio Caparrelli. Constructed from the pages of old atlases, the life-size dresses bear resemblance in form and content to some of Yinka Shonibare’s mannequins. Imperial Quilt, 2004, also made from maps, was stitched as the war in Iraq trundled on, and that country has pride of place at the center of the design, with Washington D.C. not far off. The proximity highlights how the U.S. capital is inextricably linked to Baghdad; the rest of the US forms the quilt’s border, surrounding all. Less subtle, but equally powerful, is a selection of framed works that highlight Stockwell’s deep critical interest in imperial Britain. Teabag Country, India, and Teabag Country, China, both 2002, are topographical maps made from used teabags, crudely sewn together and cut into the shape of each country. Africa (Map Study), 2002, is composed of map scraps, “stitched” together with thick pencil marks. All of these works are refreshingly non-perfectionist: Knotted ends of the artist’s sewing hang loose and the maps’ rough edges make manifest Stockwell’s hand. She exploits the quotidian familiarity of paper in the service of exploring more complex social and economic relationships.
