Painting Series

In Zip/Stack/Flow abstracted shapes are connected with hand-painted lines rendering  compositions resembling the middle of an ongoing data graph. Visualised data points charted over time manifest as a snapshot to that of something large and unending. The works  reference the connection between textile and  tech and the reification of forgotten, ignored or unseen data.

 Lifelines explores the connections between weaving, computer programming and painting . With references to data processing, analog systems and textile looms, the work explores the relationship between the technology of early programming and the machinery of the textile industry,  highlighting  the forgotten, yet important  contribution by women scientists and mathematicians. Many of the works  are titled after significant computer programs developed by women. 

A hotspot is an area on a computer screen which can be clicked to activate a function or  a place where a wireless signal is made available. For Grassi, memories function as the activators, the signals to make her paintings. In Hotspots, Grassi draws on  Gaston Bachelard’s text "The Poetics of Space" which explores the meaning of space and specifically the home, recurring themes in  Grassi's work. In  2020, the home has become an even more poignant subject for the artist to explore as it is both a  place of refuge and  anxiety.

In Contemplation for Obsolete Objects,  Grassi taps into memories of spaces and objects that seem to be unfolding and animated yet are no longer used for their function. Files, folders, clunky computers, fax machines and office cubicles, objects traditionally associated with pink collar work, become charged with presence and memory. The series was exhibited in solo shows at  Harcourt House in Edmonton, the Stewart Hall Art Gallery in pointe Claire, Quebec and at Patrick Mikhail Gallery in Montreal.

The embroidery paintings follow a natural evolution in Grassi’s practice by incorporating silk and cotton threads that are embroidered into her work. Grassi’s painted works have often been mistaken for weavings, with the embroidery work going even further in creating an ambiguous space between craft and painting. She enlisted the help of her close childhood friend, former fashion designer Francesco Naccarato, who meticulously followed Grassi’s drawn and painted lines by incorporating stitching and french knotting into the raw linen and canvas. The intuitive and creative dialogue between the two friends was initiated during the 2020 lockdowns, reflecting their parallel meditative practices with countless hours engaged in a repetitive manual labour, a stand-in for their social interaction during a time of isolation.