More simplicity
I promised work and here it is. This is a small piece from a series of new things I'm working on. There are charcoal drawings, digital drawing (iPad), digital prints, hand prints, collage etc. This one is a digital print of an iPad drawing onto cotton with a very simple hand print technique worked on top to add the spots. I'm stitching it now by hand.
There seems to be quite a vogue at the moment for a lot of very complex layered printing with motif on top of motif, colour on top of colour. Seems to me that it's a bit like being in a room with a load of people and everyone's shouting over each other to be heard. I'm more in favour of the school of simplicity where every element is allowed to take it's turn and some only need to whisper rather than to yell.
I haven't decided yet on how I'll finish the edges of this piece. But as it's small I will probably surface mount it and frame it and so might leave the edges trimmed just as they are. I got my Don't Go quilt back from a US quilt show last week. On the judge's comments it was noted that "corner of mitred binding should be sewn shut". Good grief.
There seems to be quite a vogue at the moment for a lot of very complex layered printing with motif on top of motif, colour on top of colour. Seems to me that it's a bit like being in a room with a load of people and everyone's shouting over each other to be heard. I'm more in favour of the school of simplicity where every element is allowed to take it's turn and some only need to whisper rather than to yell.
I haven't decided yet on how I'll finish the edges of this piece. But as it's small I will probably surface mount it and frame it and so might leave the edges trimmed just as they are. I got my Don't Go quilt back from a US quilt show last week. On the judge's comments it was noted that "corner of mitred binding should be sewn shut". Good grief.
Good grief indeed - the Quilt Police have a lot to answer for. Loving the piece of work.
ReplyDeleteAgreed!!!
DeleteThere are always those prissy quilt judges who think that they must grade art quilts the same way as they would grade a 12 year old sewing her first dress. No fun there!
ReplyDeleteI often wonder about such comments. Really, at a professional level, where you are, is it really neccesary?
ReplyDeleteI love the texture of the hand stitched circles on this new piece - and isn't that what it's all about? Perhaps these judges need to attend art critique classes to learn about how to be positive in their criticism?
That has got to be a personal preference not a criteria for judging. I have never been told to sew the mitres 'shut' at any class I have attended or in any of the many (too many) books I have on the shelf.
ReplyDeleteI have a friend who is an eminent UK art quilter who received a similar comment about one of her quilts when exhibiting in the US. The judge considered that it was 'unfinished' as it didn't have a binding at all!
Marion