Thursday 5 July 2012

Echoes at Snape Maltings

These trees evolved from some work we did with gesso and fabrics dragged thru it. The resulting ridges reminded me of trees, which i stitched until they revealed themselves. The result is good in that it takes me away from trying too hard with accuracy and not so good as the background wasn't stretched and is a bit uneven, not enhanced by the blue sky inexpertly added at the end.  On the whole tho it looks OK

Dancers
I have been exploring this theme in my Textile Art for some time, often using similar templates of  joyous women. 
My women are generously curved, proud of their centred gravity. They are sensuous, celebrating their sexuality and each other;  they refuse to be judged as sex objects. 
Waving not Drowning
This piece echoes Stevie Smith's poem. A dance of togetherness and the trust that when a woman is in distress [drowning in her sorrows], there will be friends to support and save her.
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Dance for your Life
Shows women, stitched into Mud Cloth, strips, hand woven and dyed in Mali, sub Saharan West Africa. 
Mali is one of the poorest countries in Africa and is in such a dangerous state of unrest that our government advises against all travel to the country at the moment.  Women and children always suffer in times of war, which is why my women are dancing for their lives, in their imagination.
But the echoes of hope are fading