Structures #17
Structures #17 © 2003 31" x 77"
Another Grand Canyon inspired piece. This is the most personal of the quilts. In the background are the Grand Canyon layers and colors. In the foreground the dark and light figures - the dichotomy of good and evil. While the trip was the most amazing experience it was also a challenging personal experience with some unpleasant interactions with the men in the group. I can’t remember many details of the stress but I well remember the magic of the canyon. I don’t think I’ve ever felt so alive.
I haven’t spent time hiking in the past couple of years and I think I’m really missing it. I need to resolve to get back into shape and get back in the mountains and canyons.
As I’m looking at these older pieces I’m reminded how much I really enjoyed making these brick wall type shapes. Each piece was cut by hand and sewn together so it’s a rather time consuming process but I love the results. I have thought recently of doing some work similar to these but every time I face an empty design wall my thin lines appear instead. Maybe in time I’ll circle back, or maybe not and I’ll just keep moving forward. Either way I don’t ever seem to run out of ideas I want to try.
Posted by Lisa in: Abstract Contemporary Textile Art, Inspiration
Sarah Jayne said,
August 8, 2007 @ 7:28 am
I love the Grand Canyon work you’ve shared. The colours and texture are great.
Can you tell me how the dark / light figures you added to the foreground of Structures 17 quilt are secured? Have you cut them out and added them to the quilt or are they sewn in as part of the block? I’m not too sure if I’m explaining myself very well - I hope you know what I’m trying to say.
Diane Clancy said,
August 8, 2007 @ 8:38 am
I really like this Grand Canyon piece also … very interesting too to be listening to your other comments about showing work or not … I had never really thought about that. I don’t know if it makes a difference for painters too.
~ Diane Clancy
http://www.dianeclancy.com/blog
Lisa Call said,
August 8, 2007 @ 8:57 am
Sarah - the construction of the quilt doesn’t reflect the visual description I have above. In other words the figures aren’t "on top" of background. They are a single constructed unit. I cut out each piece separately and then sew them together like any pieced quilt block. Here’s a close up image that might explain. Each line you see between different fabrics is a machine sewn seam. [technical stuff - All of it is straight line pieced - no set in seams or partial seams]
Nellie said,
August 8, 2007 @ 10:14 pm
I just returned from a 3 week trip to your beautiful state of Colorado. The last week was spent in the southwestern part. There were so many times that I thought of your work when I viewed the sides of canyons and huge rock walls/cliffs … the fractured planes, the palette and shift of colors, as well as the vertical lines of the Aspen tree trunks in the groves scattered across the mountains. I “see” the feelings and love you have for all this in your work.
caroline said,
August 9, 2007 @ 4:16 am
I like these pieces. Oddly enough No 17 reminded me of Africa rather than anything else. But then I don’t live in the US and I did spent time in Africa as a child.
Ned said,
August 26, 2007 @ 12:50 am
Hey, I knew if I read this site long enough I’d see this quilt. While this one is my favorite the whole GC series is great. Thanks.