Structures - The Series in Review
I have now made 60 quilts in the Structures series. (disclaimer - only 49 are completely finished, 11 of them need to be quilted and of those 3 need a bit more design work before quilting). But 60 seemed like a number worth mentioning.
I started the series in October 2000 at a Nancy Crow workshop at Ghost Ranch. Last fall I thought the series might be coming to an end as I started working in a different direction, but turns out it’s not, I keep thinking up new ideas and directions I want to take this work. So for now I will work on these quilts in conjunction with my new series Markings.
[Side note: I am not yet posting images from the new series, which currently numbers 13 pieces - although only 3 are completely finished. I have a blog post in the works explaining why I feel it is important for me to really come to terms with my new work before showing it.]
I’ve heard it said that working in a series is tantamount to doing the same thing over and over again with different colors. I disagree. While some people might view my work that way I do not.
My goal is to become the best artist I can become. I feel the way for me to do this is to concentrate on a narrow field of art and become an expert.
How do you get to Carnegie Hall? Practice practice practice.
If I do a few pieced quilts, then dabble in some painting and then a bit of embroidery I doubt I will ever become an expert at any one thing. I might get good, but after having made 60 pieces in 1 series I can assure you that it is only after years of practice that I have begun to master this technique (piecing abstract quilts) and I still think I have a lot to learn.
At times I am jealous of the time it takes to make a painting vs. a large quilt and think I could get in a lot more "practice" if I worked in a medium that wasn’t so time consuming. But I quickly forget these thoughts when I head to my studio. I love the process of working with fiber, I love the versatility, the tactile nature of the fiber.
Each piece in the series is an extension of previous work. I’m often answering the question what if?. What if I used the same type of elements but incorporated some smaller scale pieces also. Or reversed the values, or cut my lines more at 90 degree angles, or more lyrical. What if I cut my lines even narrower, or wider.
I’m always striving for perfect proportions, beautiful colors and brilliant compositions. I’m looking to further explore the walls and fences that so intrigue me, to break down and understand the internal walls I see as a barrier to knowing myself and my art (see my artist statement for more details).
It’s a daily process of struggle and discovery in my studio. For me, each and every piece is new and unique, presenting fresh problems to be solved and possibilities to be explored.
The works in the series are named in approximately the order I design and pieced the quilt tops so if viewed in order from #1-#60 you would get a feel for my progress through the series. The copyright date is the date the quilt was finished, sometimes 4 or 5 years after the piece is started.
With all that said I believe in the end the work has to stand on it’s own without comment (okay I cheated and wrote a lot of blah blah blah first). But without further explanation here is a selection of 19 pieces from my Structures series:
Structures #1 ©2005 38"x74":
Structures #2 ©2003 36"x37":
Structures #10 ©2004 52"x35":
Structures #11 ©2002 72"x47":
Structures #13 ©2005 44"x35":
Structures #17 ©2003 31"x77":
Structures #24 ©2003 29"x32":
Structures #28 ©2004 84"x57":
Structures #30 ©2004 48"x28":
Structures #31 ©2004 53"x34":
Structures #33 ©2006 46"x49":
Structures #35 ©2005 49"x32":
Structures #39 ©2006 43"x29":
Structures #40 ©2005 44"x44":
Structures #41 ©2005 44"x31":
Structures #45 ©2005 28"x28":
Structures #46 ©2005 61"x45":
Structures #53 ©2006 66"x41":
Structures #56 ©2006 48"x58":
Posted by Lisa in: Abstract Contemporary Textile Art, Working in a Series
Joanie said,
August 4, 2006 @ 6:29 am
Wow Lisa! Very impressive and I can’t help thinking of an installation with all 60 pieces. Where’s that huge venue when you need one?
Beth Robinson said,
August 4, 2006 @ 6:51 am
Great commentary and neat retrospective. This time last year I couldn’t comprehend how someone could do similar works like this and be continually engaged, though my understanding and focus have increased since then. You did a great job of explaining how it works for you. Thanks.
Kristin La Flamme said,
August 4, 2006 @ 7:29 am
How nice to see a group of your quilts together. Seeing them one at a time, one forgets a bit what the previous one looked like. Seeing them together reminds us how very unique each one really is.
Kit said,
August 4, 2006 @ 7:32 am
Terrific work Lisa. The selection above shows the evolution of the series and the diversity of results from your question: What if?
mmmm! structures #53 and #56… like rich belgian chocolate. These two are my favourites!
yeah, you gotta get all sixty together in a nice big space - without poles and curtains preferably.
Kit
KJ said,
August 4, 2006 @ 11:34 am
Strength in repetition… and who sez repeating a theme has to be boring? You show the diversity and expansiveness one can obtain and still hold on to the original thought. Impressive! KJ
Dijanne said,
August 4, 2006 @ 3:44 pm
HI Lisa
great to see so many of the pieces together. I am with Kit- I really like #53 and # 56- I like the fact that you have negatived the impact of structures on the background by using the lighter colour on the darker grounds- it adds an intensity ot the backgrounds and a suede liek effect, that wasn’t as noticeable in the other pieces.It also makes you focus on the actual structures and notice the richness of your stitching to echo your sturctures.
I think all mediums take time to work in - ( depending on size of course) - but nothing falls out of the sky in a day.
Karoda said,
August 4, 2006 @ 4:35 pm
I’m digging 53 and 56 the most also and 41 is right in there too. Looking at your work this way does show the variances which are quite significant…looking at them individually whenever you posted it was difficult to see sometimes. Thanks for this lesson. ;)
Linda said,
August 4, 2006 @ 8:02 pm
The progression is fascinating, Lisa. The early ones tend to show an emphasis on “chunks” (for lack of a better word) of color and value while the latest group really show great skill at mastering the line as the focal point of the design. Yet, I can clearly see the design relationship between the first and the last. Bravo.
My personal favorites: 30 and 56. 30 because it shows a nice sense of depth between the columns and the ground. 56 because those pairs of little, short lines that abruptly end at the edge of the color blocks are unexpected and exquisite.
pixie said,
August 4, 2006 @ 8:47 pm
Greetings from NZ. I enjoyed scolling down and reading about your time in Dunedin. My favourites are 11,21, 31 and 35. I think your quilting will inspire the piece I have in progress. and I like your not married name much better ;-)
Karen said,
August 4, 2006 @ 9:38 pm
These are so wonderful, Lisa. Even though there are similarities among them, each one is unique and beautiful in its own right. I love the use of color; there’s nothing monotonous about them. Thanks for writing about your process/philosophy and for taking the time to post them all.
Carolyn said,
August 5, 2006 @ 2:35 am
Greetings — just found your blog via Quiltart. Your work is really an inspiration, and I truly enjoy the gift you have for describing your process — I agree that seeing them all together is quite wonderful. forgive me for gushing!
shan said,
August 5, 2006 @ 7:40 am
Love seeing all these pieces together–they are quite stunning.
I think you’re comments about working in a series are right on target. The best art is made this way. Agnes Martin’s paintings come to mind when I think of your structures series (I see similarities in the emphasis on form and repetition) and, as far as I know, there weren’t any large variations in her style and content over many years of work.
Impressive!
Omega said,
August 6, 2006 @ 3:59 am
It is inspiring to see your work and read your blog. I admire very much what you are achieving, especially given that you have a separate career alongside. I so agree about exploring aspects and areas thoroughly, and the evidence is that your individual pieces are so different from each other even though they are similar in broad description.
Your work is distinctive, recognisably yours, and substantially different from others who might attempt your style - just as is the work of Nancy Crow. You both work from a philosophy, a rigorously thoughtful approach, and that is why any copy is just that: an imitation without the soul.
I have no individual favourite. I love the fact that each one can evoke different responses in me: conjures up different feelings and visual memories. They are like the very landscape themselves - rural or urban, how our life is confined or supported by structures, and whether we look inward or out we cannot do without them. Looking at your work brings me joy.
Lisa Call said,
August 6, 2006 @ 9:33 am
Thanks everyone for the comments. I’m mulling over all of your observations and really appreciate everyone taking the time to share your thoughts.
Thanks!
kathy said,
August 8, 2006 @ 5:09 pm
What a moving body of work. It’s a treat to see so much of your series side by side. Your style is so unique and appealing to the eye on a number of levels, seeing it together like this just reinforces the beauty. On a side note, I was at the library this week reading the Summer 2006 issue of Fiber Arts. As I was glancing at the News & Notes page I spotted one of your quilts in the background of a photo for the Art Quilts at the Sedgwick opening reception. A quick read of the copy confirmed it. Your signature is so unique, it’s very generous of you to share so much of your process here on your blog. Thanks for the continued inspiration.
Lisa Call said,
August 26, 2006 @ 12:17 pm
Wow Kathy. I hadn’t read the summer issue yet (it took me a while to find it to check) and sure enough - there’s my quilt in print. Way cool. Thanks much for the heads up.
Sandi said,
November 5, 2006 @ 10:53 am
I just stumbled upon this blog, and had to drop in a comment. Your quilts are magnificent, epecially taken as a whole. Perhaps you should try a musical metaphor when explaining the repetition to someone who questions why you do “the same thing over and over.” A symphony repeats the same musical theme many times, building and revising and rebuilding it, changing speed and intensity and the instruments carrying the melody, to create the whole. Your series, viewed as a group, is a symphony, not just a bunch of songs. Like a symphony, you don’t just stop in the middle - you’re finished when there’s no more story to tell.
Lisa Call said,
November 6, 2006 @ 10:45 pm
Sandi thank you for stopping by to leave a comment. And I love that analogy. Thank you so much for pointing it out to me. This might have to become a post at some point. Thank you.