Happy gardening

The weedy patch outside the living room of Tom and Gemma's flat is gradually being transformed. For years it had been waist-high in weeds, and at one point had suffered an incursion of pea gravel, in an attempt to control those weeds. For the past couple of weeks I've been digging up and sifting the soil to get out the rubble and the pea gravel, and now the area between the old wall and the new paving is just about completely sifted.

This is "the vision" - though the garden is not so large, nor so enclosed

First the long taproots to the alkanet were dug out, the in came the same and and "the machine" -

 After which the paving slabs were laid out, and rejigged ...

...until there was a template, and they could gradually be bedded in. As soon as possible, even before the layout was finished, I started on the "earthworks" - the removal of extra sand, and the reconditioning of the soil, including the removal of a few more of those tap roots, and of the not-yet-rotted roots of a sizeable tree, cut down some years ago.

 All slabs in place, and soil work is moving along -

 Much rubble and pea gravel was removed, and compost and topsoil added -

 And finally it was time to go to the garden centre - a 30-minute drive to Crews Hill - and get a few plants  -

 They fit into the car - just -

 and it was thrilling to see them set out on the wall -

 Even though we'd bought more soil, it wasn't enough, and it quickly became obvious that not all the plants would go into the ground today -

 But we worked till dark, planting one of the "lollipop" lilac trees and making progress with the window boxes -

 Work continues tomorrow; meanwhile the plants are spending the night in the safety of the back garden.

Two sides haven't yet had their soil work, but progress is noticeable, and we get a lot of nice comments from passers-by, who've seen nothing but weeds for years.

Possibly not all plants were wise choices ... verbena, salvia, syringia, astilbe, japanese anenome, delphinium, lavender, hydrangea, a grass, fuchsia, and a small yew ("Can grow more quickly than anticipated") for that shady corner....

Bill's Silver River - revisited again

Since 2004 I've been fascinated by the meandering river called Cuckmere, after seeing Bill Brandt's moody, stripped-back photo, taken in 1963. I used it as inspiration for a quilt for some challenge or other, made of layers of sheer fabric and net.

In 2010, out for a drive, we came upon Cuckmere unexpectedly and I wrote about trying to photograph the scene from a moving car.

Third time lucky - photography is easier from the top of a bus, especially when Sunday traffic is slow -

Travelling eastward, 3pm

Travelling westward, 6pm

The quilt made in 2004 now hangs in the house of friends, just a few miles from the river

During my previous stay I was taken on a walk from the coast guard cottages at the river mouth

along the river to a lovely pub - which turns out to be on the No.12 bus route (Brighton to Eastbourne).

Political quilts

A recent theme on the Contemporary Quilt group's discussion list has been political quilts - those dealing with current affairs and with injustices and conflicts in today's world. Never mind that the UK is now - again, so soon - in the run-up to yet another election, which puts my head in the sand as I retreat to a media-free zone. 

My own work is very unlikely to include any political theme - it's process and materials that interest me: stitching as drawing, the cloth-ness of fabric, that sort of up-in-the-air thing. But I feel strongly that textile artists and contemporary quilters  need to be aware not just of the different varieties of quilts being made, but of what's going on in the world.

So I've noted the names mentioned in the CQ discussion - Peter Kennard, Hew Locke -

"For those in peril on the sea" (via)

Hans Haacke, John Keane, George Grosz, Sigmar Polke, Banksy, Yinka Shonibare - some I know a bit about already, others I've looked up and will watch out for. 

Maggie Hambling may have done work about Syria and climate change [though an environmental message in the Wall of Water series was not a conscious plan]; Gerhard Richter (those Baader-Meinhof paintings come to mind), Anselm Kiefer (German history) - but what about Jasper Johns, Robert Rauschenberg, what political themes have they used [flags? the commentary inherent in appropriated images?]; and there are many African & East European artists who are prepared to challenge the status quo.

When it comes to textiles, very few will tackle such issues, said one contributor, but among them are Cas Holmes [connection with nature; sustainable practice], Sandra Meech [arctic meltdown]

"The last silence" (via)

Helen Conway [street art as fractured communication], Leah Higgins [ruins], Rozanne Hawksley [isolation; war; misuse of power], Sara Impey [lettering that comments on social issues] -

"Tickbox Culture" (via)

Christine Chester made a piece about the Bosnian War, and a large memory loss series. Irene MacWilliam has made "year quilts" tracking current events, and other work including "Common Loss" - one red square for each person killed in the Troubles -

(via)

Her work is part of the Conflict Textiles collection, as is work by Eileen Harrison -

"Her pillow, the earth" (via)

"Politics is about so much I am wondering how it is possible to actually avoid being political" said another contributor to the discussion.

So ... if I did a textile work on a political theme, it might be about climate change, or biodiversity, or disappearing languages, or illiteracy, or food waste, or over-use of antibiotics, or the disappearance of art/design from school curriculums.

Or the NHS - its death by a thousand cuts. Ditto for libraries. 

Suddenly there seems a lot to do ...

Maybe the common core is the idea of things disappearing through neglect, a neglect that comes from taking them for granted. Perhaps this arises to some extent from a feeling a personal powerlessness.

Address it through art, yes ... but then my "favourite" question arises: Why a quilt? Why cloth, why stitch; why this medium. Would another medium be more appropriate, more telling, more impactful (or quicker, or easier... or reach a wider audience)?

Addendum

An interesting article, from a non-quilter's perspective, is here. The writer says that a quilt is a good medium for the topic of migration - "for what else is a traditional quilt but the fragments of previous lives, worn out and no longer sustainable, now reassembled and stitched together to create a new whole for a new life? "

Festival of Quilts 2016

A quick visit - here are a few of my favourite things. Apologies to some makers for having omitted, in the excitement and rush, of not being able to add a name to every quilt.

Pam Stallebrass uses - and explained - various printing processes, including cyanotype

Rosie James is part of Art Textiles: Made in Britain. Each artist had, on the outside of the stand, two pieces with their bio, and several pieces inside the stand -

 

Another of the group - Ineke Berlin

Louise Baldwin is yet another in Art Textiles: Made in Britain

Such a pleasure to look and look at Louise's work

Yellow quilts sing out to me -

From the European Quilt Triennial display

From the display of traditional quilts

Fine Art Quilt Masters  -

Part of the display, with an interesting compilation by Helen Parrott in the foreground

Interesting uses of text - written and printed (left) and stitched onto found fabric
(by Sara Impey, who has published a book on  text in textile art)

Another use of text, by Jette Clover

"Missing Gabriel" by Ann Smith

Explorations of the concept of "layers joined by stitch" by Julie Bunter

Elsewhere...

Re-use of lovely old linen, by Ingrid Press

Ingrid's little baskets charmed everyone

Claire Benn's subtly repurposed fabric

Claire's gallery was astonishing, with large, pared-back pieces

Susann Hermann used acrylic paint and clay paint to show the variety of possibilities of potato prints

"Castles in the air" by Susanne Klinke - interesting contrast
of fabrics perfectly serves her idea

"Edgy" quilts -

Marita Lappalainen 

Ingrid Press

Among the quilts from Japan and Korea, I loved this contrast -

A closer look at the optical dazzle - what spectacular piecing

So many "favourite" quilts ...

Every quilt tells a story - Linda Bilsborrow's "Somewhere to hide"

Work by the ever-evolving Elizabeth Brimelow

The demonstration of how kimono is worn (by Katie Chaplin of Japan Crafts) was fascinating. She showed and explained all the underpinnings. Being dressed in a ceremonial kimono, and having makeup and hair done, would take about four hours.

The importance of the collar

It's a three year apprenticeship to learn how to tie the obi properly!