Anonymous Woman: Barbara | Carrie Brummer

BARBARA

This mixed media artwork is a portrait of a woman cabbie from the 1940s. I worked with acrylic paint to portray the woman. For the background, I researched vintage wallpaper designs from the time and hand-embroidered the design.

To embellish the medallion of this cabbie-in-training and her zippers I used 23k gold leaf.

I chose actual gold leaf as a way to literally speak of her value and worth. It’s a means to honor her and speak to the irony of being documented by a photographer but not worthy enough of documenting her name.

My embroidery is another way to give her time and honor her memory. I consciously choose traditionally decorative or “female” materials as another means to celebrate this unknown, unsung woman who I have named Barbara.