proposed research topic

I am interested in the needle point, knitting, textiles and the recent resurgence in the use of these materials.  Historically speaking, the land of fiber art and craft is one of women's work, but are today's stitches being used to subvert the content of their history and if so how.  I plan to start this research through and investigation of contemporary seamstresses such as Lara Schnitger and Christine and Irene Hohenbuchler.

Another possible topic I have thought of examining is the long standing connection between woman artist and domestic spaces and tasks.  In her manifesto of a proposal for the exhibition "Maintenance Art", Merle Ukeles, a true first generation feminist artist, investigates the art of domestic chores.  What comments are being made of today's domestic sphere?  Tracy Emin, Sarah Lucas and Rachel Whiteread are all contemporary female artist who have worked with elements of domestic space, but how are their ideas of this different from ones conceived 40 years ago?