Marsha Borden
Bed of Roses
2025
As a figure of speech, the expression “a bed of roses” has been around since the mid-1500’s. Its figurative use refers to a life of luxury and leisure. When something is “a bed of roses,” it means it is easy, comfortable, or sumptuous.
In my work A Bed of Roses, this concept is rendered in the most literal way possible, with an actual wrought iron bed decorated with roses. The roses are hand-stitched using soft, single-use plastic, a material that makes our lives easier while simultaneously destroying our bodies and our planet. We have made our bed, and now we have to lie in it.
About the Artist
Marsha Borden is an American artist and writer whose work spans traditional and contemporary approaches to textiles and fiber. A self-taught artist, Borden holds a Bachelor of Science degree, a Master of Science Degree, and a Sixth-Year Diploma (pre-doctoral) in Psychology. She has recently studied at Rhode Island School of Design in Providence, Rhode Island.
Borden has exhibited widely both locally and nationally, and her art has found homes in private and corporate collections. Her writing is published in national peer-reviewed school psychology journals and in the historical needlework periodical PieceWork. Born and raised in rural upstate New York, Borden currently works from her studio in Erector Square, an artist’s enclave in New Haven, Connecticut.
Website/Instagram
@marshamakes