Artists & Artworks
The Bayeux Tapestry
The Bayeux Tapestry is a linen cloth embroidered with
images and, as such, is not a true tapestry at all. In a
tapestry, images are woven into the cloth, while in
embroidery, thread or yarn is stitched to a cloth. The
Bayeux Tapestry images depict the story of the Norman
conquest of England, but also tell us about medieval life.
In addition to the serious scenes of the death of King
Edward and the invasion of
England by William, Duke
of Normandy, the tapestry
shows how people dressed
at the time and depicts
tasks such as cooking,
hunting, and boat building.
The story is told in Latin
words embroidered across
the the panels.
Questions about who created the Bayeux Tapestry and
for what purpose remain unanswered, although there has
been much speculation. One theory holds that the half
brother of William the Conquerer, Bishop Odo of Bayeux,
commissioned the piece in the 1070s.
Inspired by her experiences in the South, Buchanan
assembles cardboard, wood, and other found materials
to make three-dimensional “shacks” as a tribute to the
spirit and stories of the people she meets. She also draws
lively, brightly colored images of shacks and their environments. Buchanan often accompanies her works with
written stories of the people—real and imagined—who
inhabit the structures she creates.
“In my work I bring together old and new
icons and images from American and
Japanese culture. These combinations
of images represent the history of two
cultures as well as my personal thoughts
about the world I am experiencing.”
Gregory Crewdson (b. 1962)
Untitled (Twilight Series)
Working with thirty or more crew members, artist Gregory Crewdson creates large-scale photographs of elaborately constructed scenes. While on location in rural
Massachusetts, a fire company might be asked to hose
the streets and trees to suggest the moment just after
a rainfall. People who live or work on the street might
be asked to pose. The artist holds an image in his mind
and works with his crew to stage it. The resulting quiet
and evocative image leaves viewers wondering about the
moments leading up to and following the scene.
Members of Crewdson’s production crew hold titles
such as director of photography, production designer,
producer, location manager, and casting director, adding
to the already strong association with Hollywood and
filmmaking. Unlike film, though, Crewdson says he is
not that interested in what happens in the before or after,
saying, “I want the story to remain unresolved.”
Fujiko Isomura
Under the Rainbow
Fujiko Isomura was born
in Tokyo, Japan, then later
traveled to the United
States to continue her
studies in graphic design.
Isomura employs both
new and old technolo-
gies in her approach. She scans images and manipulates
them before printing them with an inkjet printer on tra-
ditional watercolor paper. She then modifies the images
with traditional media such as graphite, colored pencils,
India ink, acrylic, and watercolor. She uses traditional
processes of gold, silver, and copperleaf painting to alter
her images further.
Isomura’s artworks combine iconic characters and
images from both Japanese and American cultures. She
often depicts characters and settings from classic western films and animated traditional fairy tales. Isomura
disrupts the narrative of these familiar stories by inserting Eastern or Western elements, or versions of herself as
a character in the scene. Under the Rainbow is an excellent example of this, as the artist mixes a photograph of
herself with the image of a geisha and poses as the character Dorothy from The Wizard of Oz.
—Fujiko Isomura
Beverly Buchanan (b. 1940) Hurricane House
Raised in Orangeburg, South Carolina, Beverly Buchanan
spent many childhood days visiting rural farm communities with her father, who, as dean of the school of agriculture at South Carolina State College, made visits with
farmers across the state. She was fascinated with the
people she met and their “make-do” attitude. She was
also impressed with the houses they built, often with
very little but “found” materials. Although she loved to
draw, she pursued a career in science and health; earning
two master’s degrees from Columbia University. Eventually, however, she enrolled in art classes, received much
encouragement, and has been making art ever since.
