The Cutting (& Stitching) Edge – Megan Canning

Megan Canning's Bump (The Sense of Touch)

Megan Canning is an artist from Brooklyn who explores physiology and sensations through her embroideries..

Her most recent exhibition “Inside There Is Everything” is a collection of hand embroidered canvases that explore the five senses. They focus on how our senses are processed and the physiology behind these sensory experiences.

Megan Canning's I See (The Sense of Sight)

Megan explains her work:

“My interest lies in the convergence and overlapping of the scientific and the metaphorical — where the two inform one another and result in a deeper understanding of the human experience. I am interested in the relationship between inside and outside, and what takes place below the “threshold of awareness” – specifically in relationship to the human body and its internal systems, anatomy, organs and then its external form.

“Hand sewing and traditional embroidery techniques have gradually become a key element in the work, for both visual and conceptual reasons. Sewing literally pierces the ‘skin’ of the work, and also becomes a metaphor for the body – the embroidery results in an orderly, clean surface and a messy, chaotic underbelly, just like the skin is a calm exterior that masks the complex inner workings of the human body.

“Through my work, I am attempting to illuminate what is usually hidden beneath the surface — the physical interior of our human bodies and the memories stored within.”

Megan Canning's Laughed (The Sense of Hearing)

I really like the style of these pieces – they retain that classic educational feel and yet there’s clearly a contemporary twist with them.

The cross sectional diagrams of our sensory anatomy show us the mechanics that enable us to comprehend our world – these organs and nerve endings provide us with the context of our experiences, and Megan’s work gives us time and space to consider these processes in a bit more detail.

Megan Canning's Down Down Down (The Sense of Taste)

As part of her MFA thesis, Megan created an installation entitled “There Is A History Here Upon My Skin”. Embroidered pieces mixed with poetry phrasing create an exhibit that explores touch and sensation and the connections that lie within. I’ve spent a bit of time pondering on this particular installation and I like it – it’s a piece that you can get lost in.

 Megan Canning's There Is A History Here...

Megan’s work can be explored in more detail over at her website and you can follow her on Instagram. I’m very interested to see what she creates next.

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