Assignment 5: Reflection

 Refining and resolving processes and techniques

I reviewed my feedback from assignment 4 and the reason behind why I was making the quilt, particularly how it spoke to others.

Showing the video clip of my work to others was very interest to get a reaction from them of what I was doing and why. I wanted to discuss this with other not textile artists. By doing this I received not only interesting views on the menopause, reactions to my work as an artist, but also challenged my comfort zone in showing my work outside the college boundaries.

I allowed myself to step back and look at the comments and builds about how far I had got in assignment 4. At this point I also looked at some research on quilt makers and the history of quilting to give me more knowledge about the subject. What was empowering from the research was how many quilt makers create very personal images and stories within their quilts. Often craft is used as a domestic subsection of art, however within these pieces of textiles the imagery and message is as powerful as a sculpture or fine art painting.

Tracey Emin and Grayson Perry have included not only imagery in the their work but words which I am interested in understanding when and where text is relevant to use. However for my word I stuck to imagery as I found this more personal, I had used words in my assignments but this started to make my work more detached. Emin has a fantastic way of keeping her words so personal it is something I will look at in the future. In her work Helter Skelter (to the left) she speaks very directly.

 From this reflection and gathering of information it lead me to new ideas for images on my quilt. I am also very grateful to those that completed my questionnaire as they really gave back honest ideas and thoughts about the subject matter and my work.

The idea of a quilt has been a steep learning curve for me as this is the first time I have ever done anything like this or on this scale. 

Whilst gathering all this information I was also looking at printing a design on different fabrics, and then re-arranging positioning of the pieces I had on the quilt itself. By doing this I could step back and see what images, colours, fabrics and techniques I wanted to add. I also referred back to my sketchbooks and photos to see what feelings I wanted to portray on to the quilt itself.

During this process my new drawings in the sketchbook started to become much freer. The line drawings had a fluidity to them, which represented chaos and movement, this was due to the way I was feeling but also the feedback from others. During the questionnaire information I was seeing how their thought process was becoming freer and more open to the questions. I was still replicating feelings and positions relevant to the night sweats but the line was becoming very central to the drawings I wanted to carry through to the textiles work for the quilt.

It is important for me to work in multimedia in order to get the look of the pieces I want. I have experimented with acrylic, watercolour, litho print, applique and dissolving paper on this quilt. I have cut and slashed fabric to create a dynamic look to some of the pieces. Some of the images are tiny and frail and some are much bolder and stronger. They are all different ideas of portraying what is happening to me and other women.

I want to improve on my stitch work in the future however it is essential that I retain the raw elements too. There is a style that I am developing however this does not mean I shouldn't continue to experiment with ideas and more 3D work in the future. As I work on more ideas and samples I will refine my techniques so whilst concentrating on this area I do believe that through producing more will help this area become more technically advanced.

I thought long and hard about whether to create something for the back of the quilt, I was going to create something on the 'silent scream' a drawing based on The Scream by Munch. However I did not feel that this was something to be on the front of a piece not the back. So I left the back blank to ensure the focus was very much on the front.

I keep calling the piece a quilt, but it isn't it deliberately does not have wading in. This is because as I was creating the piece I realised there was no way I wanted a thick warm quilt to be on a bed of someone who was already too warm at night. Therefore I created a coverlet to be a light bedspread allowing the heat to escape better. 

It took a great deal of deliberation of which images went where on the coverlet. Re-positioning them to ensure the colours looked correct together & large images didn't detract from smaller ones. Also ensuring that the eyes where placed in a strong middle position at either sides was an early decision to make. They just migrated to that position to ensure they were very visible. A comment from my survey on the eyes was 'the heaviness within the eyes....the struggle shows in my face....particularly my eyes, longing for a good night's sleep'.

There is a deliberate non-uniformed size to the images on the coverlet reflecting that experiencing the menopause is different for each women so should not be a one-fits all approach.

With gathering feedback from several sources I feel I have achieved a work which can open discussion about the menopause - in particular hot flushes. I am excited that I had a positive response when uploading the image of the coverlet on The Menopause Cafe Facebook page and have been asked if I would display the coverlet at their festival next year in Scotland.

Finishing this assignment I feel I have made great leaps forward in my confidence and skill as a textiles pracitioner. I am starting to develop a style which allows my love of drawing and painting to come through in to my final pieces. But most importantly I feel as though I have connected with my work myself and where it fits in the context of textile art. 

The subject matter is on trend at the moment and is now part of the national curriculum at schools, there is increasing awareness of the need to discuss women's symptoms and help them get through this period in their lives.

The other part of my practice has been how cathartic the process has been for me personally, in hand stitching there is a mindfulness and reflectiveness when choosing the stitch. Every selection of thread, positioning of stitch is a calming voice allowing me to create in the way I choose. In a very difficult time with my own menopause symptoms this form of textiles has helped me look to the future and accept my own body and the aging process it is going through more.

Here is a video link showing my sketchbook work and my reflections.

https://youtu.be/2Q4tscTjuxI