REWIND. PIVOT. REPEAT.

Denim Demise Accepted into Juried Exhibition at Shemer Art Center

We are pleased to announce that Judith Austen’s mixed-media work Denim Demise has been accepted into REWIND. PIVOT. REPEAT., a juried exhibition at Shemer Art Center in Phoenix, Arizona.

Measuring 17 × 22 inches, Denim Demise is a richly textured assemblage of denim, handmade paper, currency, coins, and found materials. The familiar structure of the American flag emerges through worn fabric, exposed seams, frayed edges, and fragments that have been taken apart and reconstructed.

In the artist statement submitted with the work, Austen describes its meaning:

“Denim, money, frayed threads, and a reconstructed flag become symbols of an America worn by labor, conflict, and changing ideas of value. Torn apart and stitched together again, the work asks whether repair can preserve history while making room for renewal.”

That idea of renewal makes Denim Demise particularly suited to REWIND. PIVOT. REPEAT., an exhibition centered on change, growth, and renewal. Rather than disguising the evidence of wear, Austen makes it part of the work: seams remain visible, edges are allowed to fray, and familiar materials are given a different context and purpose.

Denim Demise, Judith Austen 2025
Mixed media, 17 × 22 inches

There is both tension and hope in the result. The flag is recognizable, but altered. Its history has not been erased in the process of reconstruction. Instead, Denim Demise asks what can be carried forward, what must change, and whether something worn and divided can be repaired without concealing what it has endured.

The selection of Denim Demise for this juried exhibition is a wonderful recognition of Austen’s ongoing exploration of material, memory, and transformation through mixed media.

REWIND. PIVOT. REPEAT.
Shemer Art Center
5005 E. Camelback Road
Phoenix, Arizona
October 28, 2026 – January 7, 2027
Artist Reception: October 29, 2026