Vessels—Art of the Feminine: Susan Purney Mark

Susan Purney Mark’s latest work in textiles has her shifting dimensions, from flat surfaces to sculpture. Inspired by a residency in Crete, the artist saw in ancient pottery a correlation to the female form—from pregnant bodies to “aged crones with sagging bellies.” These changing forms had Mark considering her own life’s journey and approaching “aged crone” status. From there, “the inevitable and inexorable move to death—the final body/vessel will be simple and shroud-like, similar to those mummified remains found in archaeological excavations.”