The Timelessness of Stitch Exhibition
- Apr 8
- 3 min read
Before I move onto teaching at the Australasian Quilt Convention I wanted to write a blog about the Timelessness of Stitch exhibition but I have basically run out of time and so I am going to write up my opening address.
"Congratulations Anne and Wilma for another wonderful and thought provoking exhibition. An exhibition that perhaps challenges your perception of the stitch and it’s place in contemporary art and practice.
What we see on the surface is an exhibition focusing on textile artists from around the world who incorporate the stitch in many and varied ways. Dig a little deeper and you will find each of the artists represented here has their own story to tell of the ‘stitch’, it’s sense of timelessness for them, and its significance in their creative journey potentially the continuation of a lifetime of exploration and expression. Interestingly on Sunday when the exhibition was being set up, I heard a conversation between Anne and Wilma about how they were able to recognise the exhibiting artists by their work. The stitch work of these exhibiting artists identifies the hand that made them, identifies them as the maker, the creator. Each artists is making a statement of purpose, of individual identity, and maybe reflecting the culture in which they live.
When we hear the word ‘stitch’ what immediately springs to mind?
I have no doubt that if I were to ask you all that question there would be a wide variety of responses, emotions, thoughts and memories.
It may bring back memories of grandmothers, mothers, or other significant women using stitch to enhance their lives …. It may bring back memories of sewing classes at school, both positive and negative …. It might bring back memories or experiences of exploring stitch in a different cultural setting….You may question the role of stitch as art….
However the timelessness of the stitch is about a connection to the past where stitch evolved as a practical solution to its evolution as a form of artistic expression in contemporary art.
You will see as you walk around and make observations, how the language of the stitch is timeless - from the simple running stitch invented thousands of years ago to the use of free machine embroidery or stitching.
It is the simplicity, availability and ease of use that has meant the stitch is a medium of familiarity and timelessness. Familiarity because we see the practical outcome of the use of the stitch every day in the clothes we wear and timeless because we, as a species, love to adorn our clothes/ourselves and be creative with the tools on hand.
Many find the simple act of pushing the needle in and out of the fabric to be meditative and relaxing, creating a rhythm that is calming. I certainly find it calming and relaxing and although Amy Jones’ artwork ‘The Pink Room’ has what I perceive as an energetic background colour the image is a peaceful calm stitching scene, which has probably been repeated in many homes for centuries.
Conversely, the act of winding the sewing machine to speed can be exciting as we watch the stitch lines develop into a work of art. When I look at Dionne Swifts free machine stitching I imagine she is stitching at a million miles an hour….
What we are doing when we create a stitch, and then another and another is creating a line. The line is often the building block of an art artwork and it is the same with stitching a line in textile art.
Simply put, when we enclose a stitch line we create a shape, when we repeat a shape we create a pattern, when we repeat a line we often create movement, when we stitch lines randomly, over top of each other or use more complex stitches we create dimension and texture. This creative process is timeless, look around the exhibition and see how each artist has used line, shape, pattern, movement and texture to express emotions, memories, identities, ideas, or traditions.
The language of the stitch is timeless, it is deeply personal, it is a reflection of our time in history, it is a continuation of the past within the present.
Please take the time to enjoy the timelessness of the stitch exhibition, may you be inspired, energised, refreshed or challenged by the different perspectives of the many artists involved.
You can see more of the exhibition at https://timelesstextiles.com.au/events/the-timelessness-of-stitch-group-show/
