The initial idea for this collage started in 2010 as I watched knitting stitches unravel after I cut the sleeves shorter on a sweater. Every time I touched the scrap to be discarded, a stitch or two let go just randomly along the cut edge.

I wanted to use that leftover knitting to illustrate my thoughts and feelings about changes that seemed to be happening here, there, and everywhere in health care, finance, food production, energy, and government.

I covered a 40-inch square of heavy corrugated cardboard with an abstract print fabric colored sky blue, peach, and gold. The unraveling scrap is the tan area on the left edge. On the right side is an image of the Declaration of Independence under a mustard yellow block of paper that is corroded from mold and moisture. Random references are made by words cut from ads and articles saying: “a pill for every problem, identity theft, privacy notice, and we’ve transformed everything.”

On top of the words and images are strips of braided straw coming out of the yellow block, connecting everything together. Red bias tape weaves in and out of the tangled mess, representing “Red Tape”. Around the edge is a thin rope with frayed ends.

This collage was on exhibit in the Lodi Spring Show in 2011 held at Woodbridge Winery. I thought it looked like it belonged among the racks of wine barrels.