If one were to be asked how any particular artist is remembered, the general answer is their art showcased something uniquely specific. This is quite an important position artists strive to attain despite how rare it is to come across someone who is part of the 1 percent of the world’s population who are creative. For Susan Herbert, her uniqueness is in incorporating cats into classic western art masterpieces . However for John Bramblitt, his uniqueness is actually the artist himself because he is a phenomenal painter who happens to be blind .
However, some artists have a unique hook, detail, or gimmick that is sure to be both awe-inspiring and controversial. That is surely true for Leah Emery. The artistic cross-stitcher is known for cross-stitching iconic scenes from film. The catch, however, is said films are vintage adult.
Before continuing, it is best to detail that Leah Emery knows exactly what she is doing by creating such art. She also knows the controversy it may create. However, by doing so, she is showing her worry that people are not able to explore sex and intimacy “with candor.” By using the traditional craft of cross-stitching for scenes from adult films (which would generally be viewed in private) and turning it into the basis for a public platform, she hopes the conversation can lose its stigma , as reported by Huffington Post .
“To view the work is an open invitation for the viewer to explore their own gut reaction.”
Besides the purpose mentioned above pertaining to her art, Leah Emery found cross-stitching scenes from vintage adult films as a conglomerate of many parts of herself. First, Emery is a self-proclaimed “fidgiter,” so she enjoys mediums that require her to work with her hands a tad bit more than just painting. This includes cooking, carpentry, and (of course) cross-stitching. As for the idea to create more explicit scenes for her stitching, it came about while receiving adult entertainment spam while working as a video game developer.
“It was such a perfectly chaotic fit. It’s expanded over the last several years into a fully ‘fleshed out’ research project that pushes me to try to probe the limits of sexual expression.”
Right now, Leah Emery is preparing for an upcoming exhibition with the Heiser Gallery. Her cross-stitching scenes of vintage adult films will be showcased alongside Karla Marchesi’s artwork from September 29, 2015 to October 24, 2015.
[Image via Leah Emery/Heiser Gallery]
