“Friend Me” is a series of embroidered drawings based on found Facebook photos of teenagers. The images are often paired with found texts, as well. Together they create a composite of today’s youth. The way they look. The way they act. The way they sound.

The use of needlework implies a maternal hand and a sense of home. My goal as a mother is to explore and connect to this complex age group who often shut out their parents while still needing a soft bed and a tender touch.

Because these kids are often in the throws of celebration there is a raucousness and lighthearted nature present in many of the images. But there are also moments of quiet, embarrassment, anger, recklessness and more. In choosing the text I am able to create a new narrative for the images that takes them further from their origins and captures a heightened moment in time.

While teenagers have always pushed boundaries and taken risks, this is the first generation with a camera in their hands at all time and an ability to instantly share these images with the world. In the past, a teenager’s questionable discretions would remain a story to be told from the safety of adulthood. Now there is an almost constant documentation of their every move for the world to see.

Is this a good development? Is this bad? I see both sides. But I know from the strong reactions and attention this work has received it creates a powerful discussion. One that covers issues of privacy, protecting our kids, controlling their behavior and my role as a mother creating this work.
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I studied advertising in the journalism school of the University of Colorado at Boulder and worked as a copywriter at many of the largest advertising agencies in Chicago before pursuing art.