Mommy Dearest

For artist Kate Kretz, motherhood has been both a source of inspiration and a reminder of life’s delicate nature.
After the birth of her daughter, she became agoraphobic, believing if she never left home with her child, nothing would harm the girl. The experience led to a body of work created from her own hair fashioned into nests or embroidered onto her baby’s garments. On one of the girl’s blouses she even sewed, “Your fragility in this sharp world is paralyzing.”
Kretz says she worked on the pieces until her hands shook, feeling as if she was banging her head against the wall to create a beautiful stain.
You can catch her poignant pieces beginning at 6 p.m. during Wynwood’s Second Saturday Art Walk, where her exhibit is on view as part of a group offering at the Hardcore Art Contemporary Space, which is also featuring Manuela Covini’s massive embroideries.
Titled Silence Is the Biggest Crime, Covini’s new body of work depicts protesters and demonstrators that symbolize worldwide upheaval and civic unrest as a cautionary tale of our times.
Also on display is Natasha Duwin’s Something Almost Being Said, in which the Argentine talent explores notions of womanhood and feminine strength using materials ranging from metal to organic matter; her works are inspired by Philip Larkin’s poem “The Trees.”

Sat., May 12, 6 p.m., 2012