The Night It Falls, 2009
Poetry and Illustrations by Elise Wiener

Digital Prints on Mylar, Thread, Ribbon,
Sewn on a Husqvuarna 980 Machine

The Night It Falls is a poem I wrote in my twenties, when it was customary to dream big regardless of its practicality.

One of these dreams was simply to be recognized, to express and be received.  It seemed, however, that the more I wanted the world to see me, the more unseen I felt.  As a result, my identity took root underground.  For what seemed like an eternity, my dream flourished within, growing until it assumed the magnificent proportions of a castle.

In illustrating this dream, The Night It Falls uses texture to bring the poem to life.  Combining to recreate the cacophony within me, words and sewing tangle and shout from panels of Mylar.  In contrast, the invisible background resembles a slate of air that mimics both the emptiness I seek to fill and the life I embrace.