The Structures Series
It’s been a while since I shared my series “Structures”. A collection of 200 textile paintings that I created between 2000 and 2016. Many people first came to learn about my work through this series.
Lately I’ve been thinking about returning to this body of work and adding on an additional 100 or so pieces. In 2016 I felt I’d said everything I had to say about relationships and boundaries with thin lines. But with distance I’ve now unearthed more to be investigated.
I thought before I embarked on this adventure (in October as I’ve got other obligations before then) – I’d first review the first 200. I initially posted this on instagram but realized I really have more to say than is possible on social media.
So going forward I will be sharing brief comments on social media for small groups of the work and then expand on the comments here on my blog.
The Beginning
As with most series, here at the beginning, what I’m trying to do is understand what the series is about.
I started with a photograph of a simple fence.
In Structures #1 (image at the top of this post) you can see how I have simplified the fence to a 4 line design. There are 3 upright bars and 1 horizontal. A capital letter E. I then repeat that design in different shapes and sizes throughout the work.
In Structures #2 added more complexity to the simple design – breaking up the E. But it is still there. The simple E design was the underlying foundation for every piece in the series. In some compositions you have to work a bit harder to find it.
Knowing where this series ended up heading – it is interesting to look back at Structures #3. It was the very first of the thin line compositions. There were many many many more to come.
But first I had more exploring to do. I quickly expanded the vocabulary to encompass all types of barriers with a particular fascination on brick and stone walls. Something I’ve always been drawn to when I have my camera out. Fascinated with the spaces between as much as the stones themselves.
You can see these ideas in Structures #4 and #5
collection of Rocky Mountain Quilt Museum
The collection isn’t particularly cohesive yet. And at this point (about a year into series) I hadn’t yet named the series. I knew it was about barriers such as walls and fences. I’m never in a big hurry to name my series.
These first six were started in a workshop with Nancy Crow in New Mexico in late 2000. We were at Ghost Ranch in northern New Mexico – one of the most beautiful places on earth.
While I didn’t finish all of these during the two week course – I came close. I work incredibly fast.and appreciated the opportunity to work without interruption.
A month after that workshop was over, I hopped on a plane to spend 5 months in New Zealand – my first trip to the country (a foreshadowing of moving to New Zealand 15 years later.)
We found ourselves in Dunedin for a few months and I borrowed a sewing machine, dyed 100 yards of fabric in our little rental apartment, put my kids into school, and got to creating. I even built myself a small design wall to do the work.
Structures #7 and #8 were created during those two months.
The colors of Structures #7 came from sea. The greens and yellows referring to the seaweed.
Our apartment in Dunedin was up on a hillside and the colors of Structures #8 remind me of the rooftops I looked out across.
You can see some photos of the making of this work (and my studio in New Zealand back in 2001) in this post: Structures #8. Talk about of being able to create anywhere!
collection of the artist (not for sale)
Back home to Denver, and it was time for some purple – my favorite color.
The Quilting
I stitched together all 9 of the above compositions without finishing any of them. I hadn’t yet decided how I wanted to quilt them.
And as you can see the photos above, I eventually tried out a couple of different ideas. And even continued to push what was possible with the quilting throughout the entire 200 piece series.
A note for the quiltmakers: The only piece that was free motion quilted was Structures #7. I very quickly decided it was feeddogs up only for this body of work. And in fact – I pretty much never do free motion quilting on my work. Long ago I used to but I don’t prefer that look. Which means the quilting of my works takes a very long time. And it is all done on a small domestic home sewing machine.
PS – I’m now enrolling for the next session of my signature program Create a Body of Work.
Not only will we discuss working in a series (as I’m sharing here) but we go beyond that and consider other ways to create a body of work. And much more. Building a studio practice, going deeper into the meaning of your work. Art history, etc et.
Learn more about the year long program and enroll here: Create a Body of Work