Fabric and Folklore (Southwark School)

Fabric and Folklore by artist Cindy Stockton Moore was a temporary project installed on a series of billboards located near Oregon and Delaware Avenues in South Philadelphia. Stockton worked with students at the Southwark School to create digital compilations incorporating student works structured around the themes of fall, winter and spring. She described the project in an artist statement:

“My work uses foraged and found materials to create paintings for atmospheric videos, immersive installations and handmade animations. Creating inks and dyes from natural materials and invasive species, I have been connecting to the landscape in tactile ways, cultivating themes of resilience and sustainability. For the project with Southwark School, Fabric and Folklore, I designed a series of three billboards – digitally compiled and printed, but created with the tactile application of natural color– that centered around the students’ paintings, dyed fabric and color experiments. Each of the three billboards addressed a season (Winter/Fall/Spring) during which we gathered and worked together. I painted a framework for each of the billboards referencing students working to emphasize the process. The colors and techniques in the students’ work reflect what was seasonally available and connected to global holidays and traditions that celebrate the wheel of the year. The project worked to engage all the senses. For example, in Winter months, we worked with warming teas for color–enjoying the flavors in cookies and the colors on the page; we explored the concept of lengthening days by playing with shadow forms. In spring, our room exploded with blooms as we dyed, painted and drew with fresh flowers. My on-going goal is to collaborate with students, site, and material to investigate place and connection, while aiming towards zero waste, environmentally sustainable, mutually supportive art practices. This project–like all of my work–centers experimentation, learning and listening as core practices in the studio and in the field.”

Location Note: Billboards are no longer on view at this location (temporary project installed 5/27/2024-6/24/2024).