Sophie cox

THE WALLS HAVE EARS

a series of overheard poems stitched on linen

Sophie Cox, The Walls Have Ears, (2019), cross-stitch linen, thread, embroidery hoops, two 35cm circles and four 30 cm circles, image by @ianhobbs_media 

Cox has created cross-stitched overheard phrases through working as a flaneur, a traditionally male figure who wandered the city. By contrasting a typically female art form with a practice that was originally male, Cox challenges these gender roles. Cox employs a craft for the home, bringing it to the gallery to break the barrier between ‘high’ and ‘low’ art. Each piece is a fragment of found poetry, not from the mind of the artist but from the collective mind of the city. Snippets of fleeting conversations are recorded in a labour-intensive art form to highlight the inherent poetry in the everyday world. 

This work appeared at the 2019 Women’s Work Exhibition at Gaffa Gallery, Sydney