Cancer Comb No. 1
63”H x 24”W
Machine pieced, Machine and hand stitched
Hand dyed cotton
Cancer Comb No. 2
Machine pieced, Machine and hand stitched
Hand dyed cotton
Cancer comb No. 5, 23" X 61"
Private collection
Machine pieced, Machine and hand stitched
Hand dyed cotton
Cancer Comb No. 6,
80"H x 38”W
Machine pieced, Machine and hand stitched
Hand dyed cotton
Cancer Comb No. 7
Private collection
Machine pieced, machine stitched
Hand dyed cotton
Cancer Comb No. 11, detail
Machine and hand pieced, machine and hand stitched
Hand dyed cotton
Private collection
Cancer Comb No. 8
Machine pieced, hand stitched
hand dyed cotton
The Last Cancer Comb
63”H x 24”W
Machine pieced, machine and hand stitched
Hand dyed cotton
Private collection
Cancer Combs Series
My father owned a black Ace unbreakable comb which we, as children, were never allowed to touch. As an engineer he always had a special place for everything and he would know if one of us used his comb (or his razor!). In addition my father had uncombable hair syndrome (a real affliction) and we would tease him about his hair all of the time.
In 2005 I created Comb No. 1. Shortly after that piece was finished, my father was diagnosed with lung cancer and began a long battle with the disease that he eventually lost. From 2005-2009 I worked on the Cancer Comb series, ending with The Last Cancer Comb which is the exact dimensions of the first comb. There will be no more pieces in this series.