Beyond the Boundaries Award at Quilt Visions 2014

California Fibers regularly gives a Beyond the Boundaries award to a piece in a national or international fiber exhibition. This year's award winner is Nancy Condon for her piece Shrouds in the Quilt Visions 2014 exhibit, on view at the Visions Art Museum through January 4, 2015. 

37" x 26"

Cotton, silk, synthetic fabrics, inkjet printing, thread

Fabric, dyed with liquid acrylic, inkjet printed, machine and hand stitched, quilted

Condon is from Stillwater, Minnesota. The statement for Shrouds reads as follows: "1,129 people, mostly women and girls, died in the Rana Plaza, Dhaka, Bangladesh factory fire. Next time you buy a garment, check the label to see where it was made and think about its real price."   

Detail of Shrouds

Condon's artist statement tells us more about her process: 

I make art out of an urge to create something meaningful. I work in fiber out of a need to connect to the past. I merge graphic imagery with the tactile qualities of fabric out of a desire to link the past, present and future. My artwork is an integral part of who I am. By referencing the complexity of the emotional, moral, social and economic realities in the imagery I use, I seek to process the parts into a cohesive whole.

The themes in my work are often about my experiences and my reactions to those experiences. I seek to make some kind of nonverbal sense out of the dance between my head and my heart.

I begin with an idea that usually takes me down a path I have not been before. I work in fabric and in paper. I pick up bits of garbage on my walks or as I sort the recycle, which I often use in my work. I take photos, of both the natural world and the garbage and other evidence of how humans have damaged it or each other. 

I use a scanner and Photoshop to develop my imagery, which I often print on fabric. I also dye fabric or use found fabric. I begin each piece by establishing an internal dialogue with the subject matter and with the fabric. Eye, brain, hand and the materials I use all have a part to play in the dialogue.

Shrouds was picked for this award by the jurors of Quilt Visions 2014, including Sue Benner, a studio artist making primarily art quilts; Patty Hawkins, also an art quilter; and Bruce Hoffman, the Director of Gravers Lane Gallery in the historic Chestnut Hill area of Philadelphia. 

How We Work 3

This is the third and last installment in how the artists of California Fibers work: what is their process. Although we were challenged to write it in 10 words or less, some were better at that than others...

VALYA says of her process, "It used to be I believed that pure art comes only from the unconscious mind. I was working spontaneously. No preparation or sketches were needed. Today I believe that the message that the artist presents to the world is the key. Intuition, contemplation, and thoughts work simultaneously to crystallize my ideas. The best time for this is when I am jogging on the beach early in the morning, alone. Having a solo show works the best for me. I love to work with space, to build an exhibition as one body. Unknown territory is exciting and inspiring. I always like to try new things, new materials, new techniques, and new mediums. I like to use new tools for the creation of the main idea."

VALYA, Cell Memories: BABA

Carol Lang says, "I focus on color and materials, looking for shades and hues. Then come shapes with Native American pottery as an influence. I like to recycle and repurpose items I find at garage sales as well as all kinds of natural materials I collect. I think about materials with shape and color, and then the form evolves from a 'start,' which is a specific technique that directs the work." Artists were also asked if they listened to music or anything else while working, and Carol answered, "I often watch Netflix while I work; it relaxes me."

Carol Lang, Remnants

Ellen Phillips responds, "I am most interested in the accidental. I was most excited when materials fell off a shelf in some disarray and I was able to turn them into a piece. The unexpected can push me further and faster at times."

We hope you've enjoyed this insight into our artists working process. We'll continue after our next meeting in January with a discussion of why we picked fiber for our art materials.

How We Work 2

In the last post, we presented the work process of three California Fibers' artists. The goal was to do it in 10 words or less...you'll notice these three are wordy women.

Julie Kornblum, who works largely with recycled materials, says, “Gather materials; they inspire me. Respond to the world & life. Experiment, sample, start over; finish when satisfied.”

Pacific Rim 

We also asked the question of whether you need silence or noise to create, and if noise, what kind? Music? TV? Audiobooks? 

Kathy Nida, a quilter, says, "My process is all in my head. The entire drawing is composed up there over time. Then it all comes out; the rest is execution. So my process is: think/design, then draw, then choose fabrics and colors. The TV is on or I listen to music during the whole process. No silence."

Detail of Awakening the Crone

Charlotte Bird, also a quilter, says, "I do my best work when I stop thinking, letting my hands do the thinking. I am doing more with the intersection of art and science, thinking about subjects like climate change. I get my images from Google rather than drawing.  I look everywhere and take photos, especially of pattern and texture."

Lichen: Living Fossils

She continues, trying to get down to 10 words: "I absorb, write, doodle, research, cut-sew-try-fail-redo-carry on. My work is moving from 2D to 3D. I seem to have a two-year cycle. I work in one series at a time. I listen to books on tape while I work, especially murder mysteries."

Stay tuned for the last in our How We Work installments...

How We Work

At a recent California Fibers' meeting, members discussed how we work, what process we use to get the work done. We tried to get it down to 10 words or less, but some of us are just wordy. From that discussion and followup emails, we'll be presenting some of our artists' processes over the next few posts...and think about it. How would you describe YOUR process in 10 words or less?

Cameron Taylor-Brown says, “I work in series. My creative process is a conversation between me, my thematic inspiration, and the materials.  It goes like this:

(Observe, collect, play, sample) repeat...
Scale up
(Observe, make) repeat...”

The Weaver's Hands

Peggy Wiedemann says, "Think, idea, gather materials, plan, start, change, evolve, finish."

Exploring Too

Lynne Hodgman says, "Read, photograph, think, write, transfer, compose, cut, layer, stitch, wrap!"

Oceanic Grammar

Keep your eyes open for the next installment in how we work...