Theme: Touchy-Feely
Host: Lisa Quintana
Due: Feb. 2, 2013
I like to paint. Many
of my quilts have painted elements. Not
too long ago I looked at a quilt top I had finished and thought about the fact
that if I had just been painting the piece, I would be done, but instead of
painting an image, I prefer to quilt them now.
What is it that makes me want to create pieces of art in fiber? I realized it was texture. For a
review of texture as a design element, look here:
In traditional oil painting, texture may be physical texture
like the thick impasto that Van Gogh achieved with thick paint and knife strokes
or imparting the sense of texture by realistically portraying objects (visual
illusion) such as was done in the Dutch Masters, such as Vermeer, or by the
incorporation of textured pieces like Rauschenberg. Pattern imparts texture as well.
As quilters, we can impart texture to our works with a
variety of techniques and of course, fabric itself brings out a tactile
response….if it didn’t, we wouldn’t have to have signs asking people “please do
not touch the quilts.” In traditional
quilting, we learned about line and texture by the prints we used; different
sizes of prints on our fabrics make for more interest, as well as the physical
texture that quilting imparts.
Take a look at this stuffed and corded white work quilt:
Of course as art quilters, not only can we express texture
with our quilting, but we can use threads, specialty yarns, embellishments such
as beads and buttons…stones, found objects, and our choices in whatever
textured fabric we wish to use.
So…get touchy feely! Express texture either through tactile
expression or a visual illusion. Try something you’ve never done before. Incorporate layers of texture as only we fiber
artists may do, with quilting and use of embellishment.
For inspiration:
Vermeer. I use him
just as an example, I am sure you can pull up many other examples where the
fabric in paintings look so realistic you want to touch it.
I have always liked Willem Kalf’s work because he usually
incorporates glassware, fruit being
peeled and oriental rugs which were used as table coverings at the time because
they were so expensive. He manages to portray the rugs so that you can
feel it, just by looking at it. Part of
the interest for me is the fact that he combines so many different textures in
his paintings.
Or for a little later period, look at Anne Vallayer-Coster’s
work
Dimensional art work
Van Gogh’s sunflowers are probably the first thing
which pops to mind when you think of the
three dimensional type of brush/knifework on paintings.
But, check out Albert Pinkham Ryder. Pinkham Ryder was an American who used very
thick paint, and overworked paints, sometimes using paints which dried at
different speeds which caused his paintings to deteriorate or change over
time. Still, take a look at how he uses
texture in his paintings to move the eye and provide contrast.
Of course Robert Rauschenberg incorporated a lot of texture,
including an old quilt, in his famous “Bed.”
Go to the SAQA (Studio Art Quilt Associations) website - and
watch the slideshow on the website. The
slideshow shows many works by Professional Art Members and Regional
Representatives. As you scroll through
them, look at the different ways that texture comes into play. Pay particular attention to pieces by Wendy
Lugg, Chiaki Dosho, and Eileen Doughty.
For realism look at:
Kate Themel (in particular her
still life pieces and her flowers which are in environment.
One final note: have fun with this!
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