Friday, June 8, 2012

Textiles in a Tube 5

One more red piece from Textiles in a Tube! (Or at least it has a little bit of red in it.)

Susan Lenz, Five, detail below

This is the piece for you if the heat gun is your favorite fiber art tool.  I'm not sure exactly how it was constructed, but melting was clearly the big moment  in the process.  I liked the intricate free-motion machine stitching, the funky colors and shapes, and the weird little curlicues around the edges.

But wait -- how did this one get in here?  No red at all, and indeed, red would certainly clash with this forward fuchsia.

Kit Vincent, Bel Canto 2, detail below

I liked the strong, assertive shapes and lines in this quilt, the subtle texture of the dyed and discharged fabric, the dense quilting, and those delicious blue spots.

Stay tuned for the prizewinners in Textiles in a Tube 2.  And if you find yourself in the vicinity of Greenville SC between now and July 15, I hope you can drop in and see the show in person at Riverworks Gallery.

5 comments:

  1. I've met Susan Lenz when she has been in the UK and she is a power house of creativity. She has made a lot of these stained glass inspired pieces and has included details of her process on her blog http://artbysusanlenz.blogspot.co.uk/
    but you would have to scroll back quite a way.

    I hope the opening goes well tonight.

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  2. I've enjoyed reading your comments from a juror's perspective. I often wonder if there's a bias on the jurors' part toward particular colors or designs -- certain quilt shows always seem heavy on trees, flowers, animals or whatever the trend of the year is. I've enjoyed your selections and wish I could see them in person.

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  3. Hi!
    I'm so honored to be part of this exhibition ... especially since the piece sold on opening night! Like you, I was unable to attend even though I do live within an easy two hour drive.

    Yes, you are quite correct that the "big moment" is when I've put on my ventilator mask and start poking holes through layers of polyester velvet and finally melting the work for a heavy-duty heat gun. Years ago I wrote a tutorial. It is at http://artbysusanlenz.blogspot.com/2007/07/how-to-make-in-box.html

    Thanks so much for sharing my work on your blog! This is wonderful!
    Susan

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  4. Wow. I am so impressed with all the work. I cannot wait to see the prizewinners!

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  5. Sherrie -- I gave a lot of thought to why there was so much red in the show, and decided it wasn't me, it was the work submitted. After I noticed this trend I went back to the work of three or four artists who had submitted one red piece and one or two non-reds, and wondered whether I should choose one of the others. But in each case I decided that the red piece was better than the non-red.

    I think there are trends among artists as well as tastes among jurors.

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