(Above....a box from Connie....in the process of being unpacked! Click on image to investigate all the vintage linens she donated to my fiber arts!)
When my show, "Blues Chapel", was at the Greater Denton Arts Council's Gough Gallery, I had the extreme pleasure of meeting some wonderful people....including Connie Akers. Connie sent me a box of vintage linens soon afterward. All the material....the fantastic log cabin patchwork and even the doll dress....that became Only Child, a Grave Rubbing Art Quilt (below....it is now on view in Groton, NY in a national, miniature art quilt exhibit!), fell out onto my work table.
(Above: Only Child, Grave Rubbing Art Quilt Series. 16" x 16". Hand stitched. Click on image to enlarge.)
So....you can imagine how excited I was last week when another box arrived from Connie. I took it to my studio. I started unpacking it on my floor (see photo above). I just knew there was something very, very special inside.....AND THERE WAS! More than just a great collection of old household items lovingly stitched by some anonymous female maker, a back for the newest Grave Rubbing Art Quilt (stitched mainly on the plane to Hungary and back again) fell out. Yet, most importantly.....a fabulous blouse and skirt made of vintage lines also fell out....AND THEY FIT ME PERFECTLY. I'm going to wear them on Friday, September 10 to the opening of "Personal Grounds", my solo show in Charleston that features my Decision Portraits.
(Above: Blouse and skirt from box! Click on image to see what I'm wearing to my opening on September 10!)
THANK YOU CONNIE! You are wonderful!
Also....I placed the final stitch on the last Decision Portrait for this exhibition just yesterday evening. There's now 106 or 107 (I'm a little sketchy on my own counting!). I'll be working this week on a wall installation of "tagged keys", on my final exhibition list, on creating the last pages for a book on the Decision Portrait Series, etc. TOO MUCH TO DO. I'll be posting the remaining Decision Portraits as soon as I hear from the "models". Coming up are:
No Meat
Sister Support
Youngest Child
Voter
and
State of the Economy
One more thing. I got censored. I'm in good company.....after all, plenty of international, well respected artists have been censored. Their work was deemed by others to be "too sophisticated" or "too avante-garde"or "too outrageous" or "too controversial" or "too obscene" or some such thing. Knight Riders is now out of the show. It is "too controversial". The gallery knew about this portrait for MONTHS but the email came last week. I'm not sure how to feel about this....and fortunately I'm too busy to worry about it now....maybe later.
I get a google alert for fiber arts and YOUR post came up today! What a fun way to find you.
ReplyDeleteI rarely take time to go through all that comes that way to me.
First of all I LOVE the outfit and it looks like doll clothes, but after seeing you on TV I decided you are a doll!
A very precious doll at that!
You will look grand.
And it's just perfect.
I am sorry about the Knight Rider's piece being thrown out of the show. It fit so well I thought. Even though of course it is controversial but so what.
The show is fantastic without it, it simply added a sock to the gut!
LOL
I guess I was okay with your using it and wanted to be a fly on the wall to see the "fallout". I guess this IS the fallout and it came early. Whatcha gonna do?
You will look wonderful in your new outfit. I think that is one of those "meant to be" gifts. All the linens will be so much fun.
ReplyDeleteNow to the Knight Riders, I wish they had kept that in the show. I have seen it and yes it is disturbing, but somethings NEED to be disturbing, so we can learn from them. This is like not showing images of the Holocaust. There are people today that believe the Holocasust never happened! Hard to believe an ART GALLERY of all places would not want this included. No judgement or opinion was placed on this piece of work, by you. You were only doing what you always do. Presenting an Art Quilt with the subect being someone's decision. Right or Wrong it was their decision. Too bad the art gallery patrons will miss this peice.
Debbie
Susan what is the link to that Knight Riders piece? I was trying to find it and I could not remember where it was buried.
ReplyDeleteDebbie
Susan, I am more than thrilled that the shirt and skirt fit you and you will wear them for your opening. I made the shirt about 20 years ago and wore it in my younger, smaller days. Most of the fabrics in it were done by women in my family.
ReplyDeleteIt is distressing that Knight Riders is being censored out of the show as your work is about making people think and it is sad that some want to avoid doing so. I'm looking forward to hearing more about your trip.