It looks like I haven't posted in almost two weeks. It's partly because I've been stalling, searching for better ideas. I've also been pretty sick for the past week. It hasn't helped that, despite a fair amount of searching, I can't seem to find any examples of contemporary quilts that are relevant to what I'm doing.
I began doubting myself shortly after I photographed the Oceanside house. I could see that there would be no way to make my quilt both beautiful to look at and conceptually intriguing. Some photographs translate more effectively into line drawings than others; I would not be able to show the decayed state of the house through embroidery alone. And besides, mid-century architecture just doesn't appeal to me.
I also considered using images from the Latourell Falls house. This wasn't a good option either, for a variety of reasons. The most important reason not to use it was that I'm not interested in making a quilt about (and only about) abandonment and decay.
Part of the problem has been in my approach to this project. I've been thinking about quilts as two-dimensional picture planes, as vehicles for patterns and images; I've felt like the conceptual content for my quilt was only allowed to be on the quilt top - surface decoration, if you will.
But as much as I love printmaking, drawing, piecing, and embroidery, I need to remember that I am also a sculptor and an installation artist. Even at the beginning of this project, I did not set out to make a standard quilt. So why am I not taking these other mediums into account?
I really admire how installation work physically relates to the human body (especially suspension pieces like the image below and this one). This relationship seems very relevant to quilts, which have generally been made and used for the same reason.
I included the installation below because it's similar to what I imagine my installation might look like.
White Room
Emily Ann Nachison
For now, I'm thinking of making an installation of components that are related to the craft of quilting, or that are quilted. I will install it in the BUFU Gallery unless I find a more appropriate site. These are some preliminary ideas.
~The installation will incorporate a variety of fibers/materials (muslin, linen, wool/wool felt, silk, lace, cheesecloth, possibly batting and thread). They will probably be monochromatic, like Nachison's installation.
~There may be parts of the installation that have been intentionally damaged - burned, stained, torn or threads removed, etc.
~It will include a variety of piecing techniques (clamshell, various stars, wedding rings, drunkard's path, etc.).
I'll have to think about the installation's relationship to memory. I could include prints, photographs, old letters, bones, or decaying plant matter, but I'd rather this information were found in the fiber component.
Sources:
Emily Nachison Studio
http://emilynachison.blogspot.com/
Abigail Doan
http://abigaildoan.blogspot.com/
BECA Gallery
http://www.becagallery.com/
