She Can Be Prickly

Hello, my name is Rachael Delaney, and I create three-dimensional thread

sculptures that tell important stories about the resiliency and fragility of the

environment and the role of human intervention in the sustainability of

healthy ecosystems. Within the State of Colorado there are over 20

different types of native thistle species that are often dismissed as noxious

nuisance weeds. This designation of weed, instead of native wildflower,

leads to the uprooting of the plant when it begins to invade more curated

and pristine spaces like gardens or well-manicured lawns. Much is lost

when the urge to remove native wildflowers is acted on, as they provide so

much life to other species that interact with them. When the biodiversity of

an environment becomes compromised through the cultivation of only a

few select species it makes it harder for that environment to sustain life.

Through this artwork I hope to explore what makes one plant more

precious to our landscapes than another, and what is lost when we

overvalue and curate just a few select species.

The piece, "She Can Be Prickly" is constructed from thread. I use a sewing

machine to draw the plants on a water-soluble fabric made from starch.

After dissolving away the fabric I leave the thread drawings out to dry,

bending them into the desired shapes resulting in three-dimensional forms.

I am intentionally referencing the long history of adorning lace with

ornamental cultivated flowers. I am replacing those flowers with a plant

often considered a weed in the hopes of elevating the status of thistles

making them worthy of a closer look. My hope is that through this work

people will take notice of the environments they interact with, considering

the importance of the health, vulnerability, and fading resilience of our

rapidly changing ecosystems.