Coat of Invocation

Coat of Invocation demonstrates the artist's interest in the protective powers of skillfully made garments that incorporate unconventional materials. In this case, she has constructed a coat intended to be worn by a loved one negotiating cancer. She created the piece out of commercially made envelopes, which she dyed, stained and painted. The style of the coat follows the pattern of a Japanese happi coat, and the artist also draws on the Shinto tradition of making written requests to a higher power, as each envelope contains a wish for the relative's recovery. The soft golden and brown tones of the coat's exterior, combined with the red interior, give a sense of warmth and bodily presence to the coat, calling to mind the person for which it was made.