Wednesday, 30 November 2011
Great work Annabel!
Annabel I'm all admiration for your productivity at the moment. I'm so pleased to see the fabrics suited the piece you're working on. I do feel now that I have at least contributed something to this exhibition! Can't wait to see how the quilting and extra painting transforms this one too. I reckon when it comes to the next Life quilt then you should just go for it. Wherever it's displayed the organisers can put a little sign on the door along the lines of "Images in the exhibition contain nudity which may offend". That should get the punters through the door like nothing else!
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Thanks Laura! The stitching and painting will transform it quite a bit I think, especially the trees and figures, but I hope not to loose too much of the beautiful markings on your fabrics...they are gorgeous!
ReplyDeleteThanks also for the encouragement on the life quilt too. The gallery are fine with the nudity, but I love the idea of the sign even if they are. They'll be queuing up!!
Big "But" here, the image I'm thinking of can be read two ways, depending how long you stare at it and think about it. My courage is faltering as I don't want to cause unnecessary upset, but it could also be quite poignant and something I'd like to put out there.
Now I'm intrigued! I think you should make the work you want to make. I suppose there's a line between 'thought-provoking' and offensive and I guess it's probably best to stay on the right side of it. I'd always rather that someone either loved or hated my work than it cause no reaction though. Was it Neil Young who said it's better to be in the gutter than the middle of the road?! On that note I have plans to make a quilt (or maybe a pair of quilts) that are utterly unusable, unsaleable, difficult to transport and awkward to display. I had thought it was a ridiculous idea, but they've been in my head for years and I've decided this week to get on with it. They won't be for Orientation, so maybe it's at this point I should break it to you that they might be for Leamington!
ReplyDeleteYou don't need help with your quilting I'm sure, but one thing that we've found when quilting those hand dyes which have the really strong marks is to free motion using the lines in the dyeing as a guide, just tracking round them in an organic way. It all depends on the piece and the scale of course.
Hi, I'm also intrigued! I too have forgone the saleable and useable, but they are at least transportable and will go on a baton. Go on, spill!! (email if you prefer) I'll tell you mine if you tell me yours :) On the other hand, if you might want to suprize everyone.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the tip about the free machining and I'll probably give it a try, unless something particularly landscapey comes to mind! I've been doodling, but nothing as yet.
Is is possible, dear heart, to add me to the Comments Notification Email so I can keep up with comments? (just in case, go to "settings" and click on the box "comments". Scroll down to the bottom and type the relevant email into the box. Thank you so much xx
Hi Annabel, I've added your email to the comments notification so I hope they'll pop into your inbox now. You're much more au fait with Blogger than me, I'm still a bit of a newbie!
ReplyDeleteIs there anyone else in the group who'd like that? Just let me know.
Ladies - I am loving your journey! And as for art being offensive, I think art should provoke a reaction. It might make you smile, you might 'hate' something - but it should not be bland. Do you remember the portrait of Myra Hyndley created using children's handprints? (I don't remember the artist). My kids, who were teenagers at the time, found it quite 'disturbing'. Some might say it was in poor taste, but I say it was great art as it provoked a reaction. There's a debate to be had!(Oh and I am also a fan of Chris Ofilli - elephant dung; Tracy Emin and Grayson Perry. Did you see his quilt at the V & A? Not 'easy' but it did provoke a reaction). Is that all a bit controversial for the delicate world of quilting? Hilary
ReplyDeleteGreat work Annabel, and I can't help thinking the world of quilting could do with a bit of a shake up...
ReplyDeleteSteph.
LtW,WtL, I'm really pleased that youre enjoying reading the blog; we are having fun aren't we?!! Thank you for your comments about my difficulties with my quilt; its a tricky thing to judge and get right. I don't ever want to cause offence, but I agree with you that a reaction is good in art and I'm always wittering on about emotional response being necessary to me in quilts, and perhaps I should just put my money where my mouth is.
ReplyDeleteSteph: Hi! I was speaking to someone from Oz a couple of weeks ago, about art quilting and using life drawings/paintings in their work, and she horrified me by saying that life work is often banned from quilt shows because they're seen as "family" occasions. Just never go to the Vatican or in any church in Rome or....well, I could go on!
Hi Annabel - I cannot believe your comment about the life quilter/painter from Oz. People wouldn't get exercised if if was just paint on boring old canvas. And people flocked to the quilt exhibition at the V&A last year and there were some very 'pushy' quilts there but no one complained!!
ReplyDeleteLTW/WTL: I know! I was surprised. One of the comments relayed back to me from foq this year about the Measures of Time quilt was (and its a quote from a conversation between two ladies)
ReplyDelete"this year I have seen the most nipples ever in a quilt show. There ought to be a rule against body parts"