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My response to political situations is to make and exhibit art, using a soft medium to express an often hard message. The two small quilts above were made for an exhibit titled “Breaking Traditions: In My Own Words” that featured issues involving autism, although the theme of communication applies to numerous other areas. Top piece uses a resist from school glue for the words. After drying, painting, and getting the glue out, the fabric was cut apart and reassembled. Next piece also uses school glue resist on the bottom section, with a double overlay of stamped organza, attached only at the top corners. Synonyms for communicate and speak were stamped and written on all three layers, so that when assembled, none of the words are particularly clear; sort of a Tower of Babel effect.
Made for the E Pluribus Unum III challenge, the leaves on the tree are made from organza in every color found in the flags of the world, all of the places a nation of immigrants have come from, and colors used by Native Americans. From the leaves (people), we move to the branches (states), and country (trunk). All are essential to each other, although leaves come and go like human lives. E Pluribus Unum, the US motto, means “out of many, one.”
Made for a women’s history project. Rachel Carson started her career in oceanography, and became an advocate for banning the pesticide DDT when she noticed that it affected the eggs of shore birds, leaving them unable to develop and hatch. She was the author of several books, although her most well-known is “Silent Spring.” The 60’s poison symbol is fused to a layer of netting, which is attached only at the top edge, leaving the viewer to glimpse what the shore is like without pesticide poisoning. There has recently been talk of bringing back DDT due to the Zika virus.
Made for the same women’s history project, the quilt honors former Ambassador to the UN and Secretary of State Madeline Albright, and has nine actual lapels and my interpretation of some of the items in her famous brooch collection. Quite often, she would wear a brooch to make a point that she could not make diplomatically.
Serpent: While US Ambassador to UN, Albright criticized Saddam Hussein for his refusal to go along with the deal. A poem was published by Iraqi press calling her a serpent. When she had to meet with Iraqi officials, she wore her serpent brooch.
Bee: Worn to make a point to Yasir Arafat, that the US would try to negotiate peacefully, but if pushed, might be forced to sting.
Dove: Gift from Leah Rabin, widow of Israeli PM Yitzhak Rabin. Worn while working on negotiations between Israel and Palestinians. Also worn at memorials for victims of genocide.
Bug: How do you tell the Russians you know they are bugging your conference room without disrupting your relationship?
Eagle: Worn when nominated to be the first female Secretary of State, 1996.
Turtle: Worn when negotiations were proceeding at a slow, frustrating pace.
Bluebird: Cuban fighters shot down 4 unarmed Americans over international waters in 1996. In mourning, Albright wore her bluebird flying downward.
Monkeys: Worn to a meeting with Vladimir Putin, to discuss Chechnya and human rights. Putin claimed rights were not being violated, and neutral monitoring was unnecessary. Albright thought otherwise.
Glass Ceiling: Inspired by 'Breaking the Glass Ceiling' by Vivian Shimoyama. Another glass ceiling shattered!
I started this for two challenges: one about color and one that required a letterform somewhere in the piece. I started out thinking of tests for colorblindness, which led to multiple meanings of the word ‘colorblind.’ For years, there was a crayon color called ‘flesh,’ which was the color of nobody’s flesh, ever (there was a pigment reason for the name, but school kids didn’t know that), and was often used as ‘the’ color to use for skin. Eventually, the name was changed to peach (bottom of chart four), leaving kids to ponder the many colors and nuances of skin tone. Later, the crayon company brought out a ‘multi-cultural’ pack containing a variety of colors suitable for more variation in skin tones.
Made for the Threads of Resistance exhibit. The title references a song in the musical, “South Pacific,” which is just as relevant today as when it was written (perhaps more so). The red/pink/orange fabrics contain the inflammatory rhetoric we hear far too much of these days (any is too much), while the blues and greens which surround the hateful words are lines adapted from the Prayer of St. Francis. Words were done with stencils and school glue resist, then painted, heat set, and washed to remove glue. There were 550 entries, from 400 artists, for a show that could only travel 59 pieces. However, all the entries can be seen here: threads of resistance . Some powerful work!
DK Quilt Guild: When the Personal Becomes Political~ Fiber Art With a Message, Part 1