To enable reference while reading the post below. Ebb &
Flow carried on the same design idea witha more satisfying result.
Machine pieced and machine quilted (ditch) with hand quilting in the plain squares.
Dimensions, 55″ x 44″ , 141cm x 113cm
This quilt will be seen in SAQA’s “Transformations 09” in the UK later this year, before that exhibition goes on to Houston.
In the pieced units, I did hand quilting in the same charcoal grey as the background fabric.
I confess – I had forgotten I had this little piece until it rolled out from the back of the cupboard in a recent clear out. An early member of the series, it was shown in in my Washington DC show in 2005, but not seen since I unpacked it returning from that.
Having my website redesigned just now has set me wondering, where is # 5 ? I keep a list of quilts/availability/year made/price, but neither made it onto that list, which is bad enough, but, and unusually for me, I didn’t have an images of them either, until I took one of this one, #4, the other day. but never will of #5. I think I may have subtitled a small piece Ebb &Flow #5, but since the one I am thinking of sold and has gone, I can’t check for sure. My record keeping has some gaps, but then, I am not sure whether this really matters much in the long run, as I doubt any curator is ever going to be searching through and assembling a restrospective of my quilts.
Ebb & Flow #8
followed on from the idea of this layout. Of course I love repeat units, but in #8 the units are separated by blank unpieced squares across which the quilting continues, imho a more pleasing effect. And in #8 also, the quilting takes on more design importance. It is pictured on my blog xxxxx and website.
For the technically inclined:- dimensions are 36″ H x 30″ W, the fabrics are machine pieced (not bonded fused or appliqued) and quilting is by machine, both in the ditch where units join, and wandering horizontally across the cream, stopping wherever that comes up against print. So, lots of stopping and starting, ends darned in as I go, but not tedious, it’s just the way I work.
Recently on one of the lists I belong to there was a discussion on series. This topic bobs up once or twice a year, usually covering the exact same ground – as people new to quiltart wonder about the business of working in a series. But this time an interesting comment came from someone who wondered out loud if she should take the ‘risk’ of working in one, and what was the point anyway of ‘doing the same thing over and over again’
I don’t actually see any ‘risk’, to exploring the same thing over and over again – consider Jorge Rodrigue’s Blue Dog paintings, hugely commercially successful, and quite intriguing to many, wish I had one or two…. or what about Turner’s clouds, or Monet’s haystacks and lily ponds. And then again, ‘doing the same thing over and over again’ might refer to technique, colour palette, raw materials, processes, subject matter – there are many possible unifying elements on wqhich to base a series.
Rather than pontificate about series in abstract, I thought I’d offer this selection from the first series of work I made, ” Ancient Expressions” being from UL to LR, nos. I, VI, X and XII, dating from 1988 to 1992. As suggested by the title, the group/series has a general theme, which I didn’t foresee as ongoing while working with what eventually became “Ancient Expressions”. At the time I regarded myself as an embroiderer, and was only just beginning to learn about traditional patchwork, almost on the side. Hence the paint plus hand stitch and in this case quilting through layers, I thought of as an embroidery, a wall hanging. I had used ‘quilting’ as a needlework technique often. However as an art quilt, AE was juried into a very prestigious exhibition and sold. That was encouraging, and this whole area being of great interest to me, I renamed it “Ancient Expressions I” and continued on with the theme of man-made marks in and on the Landscape reflecting human activity in a region, and forming a link back to ancient peoples. I don’t know anyone who isn’t moved by this.
As the series develops the landscape element becomes more abstract but is always still present somewhere in the quilt. The markings form patterns and are less pictorial, but are based on real shapes or linear patterns I observed either on rocks or artefacts in museums and books. The series also reflects my expanding technical skills. The last work was “Ancient Expressions XIV”, and although that was 1993, I don’t consider this series is ‘closed” which is another way of saying I think I sitll have something more to say or explore on this theme. Not procrastinating though, I am wondering about exactly what it is I want to say and how I want to say/analyse it.
In Lima Peru, the latest APEC gathering attended by leaders of countries bordering the Pacific Ocean has just concluded. Of course it was attended by our Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, and so our media fully covered the event.
I don’t know how the custom began or when, but these conferences now traditionally conclude with attending heads of state being presented with a wearable souvenir, typical of the host nation, which they don while participating in photo opportunities on the last day. There have been some memorable Malay and Indonesian batik shirts, and the Philipines presented them with those lovely peñasilk dress shirts worn everyday by men there. Of course, as every traveller knows, something typical of one culture can look a bit comic back home, and nothing shrieks louder of a returned tourist than sporting a piece of culture-to-wear, like a Union Jack waistcoat, an Akubra hat with shark tooth adorned headband, or a t-shirt adorned with native american symbols worn with turquoise and silver jewellery.
For the host nation, the trick is to choose something identifiably national and that can be worn by both male and female leaders. The following is a link to the photo gallery in today’s issue of The Australian, of the leaders jollying around in their gift ponchos from the people of Peru, hand woven, natural coloured and doubtless very fine quality alpaca fibre:
http://media.theaustralian.com.au/media/2008/11/24-apec/index.html
Although some in the photos clearly don’t have much idea how to put them on or how to stand up straight when wearing such a thing, I am pleased at how our Kev did wear his well and with respect. On the other hand, George W looks as he possibly felt – a total dork, with very little good grace. Being a textiles collector, I have my hand up in case Kev decides to quietly dispense with his, but reckon his wife will snag it and wear it with appropriate style some time over a great shirt or top and pants with boots. Perfect for our national capital in winter.
The prevoious APEC gathering was in Sydney, Australia. The government of the day would have sifted through various national clothing ideas – stubbies, thongs and t-shirt perhaps? (stubbies are very short shorts) but maybe not for the sheilas -stubbies are often revealing enough on the blokes. They might have considered white t-shirts with shark bites out of them and splashes of what looks like fresh blood? bad taste, and pun intended … shady hats with bobbing corks around the rim? They eventually came up with the ubiquitous Akubra(brand) wide brimmed felt hat, worn year round by blokes and sheilas, in town and country – perfect. Then our people went way over the top with excessive largesse, teaming these hats with indivdually sized and coloured suede trimmed Drizabone rain coats. These are robust waterproof coats of oiled fabric, styled with a split back to enable the wearer to be mounted on a horse OK while droving or working out in wet windy cold weather. They’re legendary, and totally wonderful, but not your everyday wear for most Aussies, and in addition they aren’t cheap – think several hundred dollars. It felt to me like we were wanting to totally out-do our Pacific neighbours, rather like the suburban mum planning a kiddies’ birthday party wanting the take-home party favour lolly bag to be bigger and better than anyone else’s. So nouveau riche.
So I thought this article on the poncho gifts and photo opps windup was particularly snotty and rather embarrassing to read in our national newspaper. It will find its way back to Peru, and there will be taken as an ignorant put-down. Peru’s APEC ponchos resemble ‘potato sacks’ The Australian Shame on you, Matthew.
