Channeling Nevelson … Mostly Gray
Pauline Salzman
Treasure Island, Florida, USA
Artist Statement
I am a quilter. Continuing in the tradition of Harriett Powers I want my quilts to tell a story. I love the planning, the research, the construction, the quilting and the finishing. I love to work with textiles, the touch and the feel of fabric and thread are powerful. Quilting is a learning process. Each quilt is different and poses new challenges. Not just for the ideas, but the creation. More often than not my quilts make you smile. There is always a story to be told.
Quilting is therapy … I get lost in the making of each quilt. Wanting my quilts to appeal on a few levels…the overall image, the stitching and the story. The overall image should pull the viewer in to get a closer look. The stitching sculpts the object. Forming the shape, the roundness and the movement. The quilting should not just lay there and be flat. It should complete the image.
Sometimes the title comes first. Other times I am inspired by a photo or a challenge. Whatever comes first does not matter. Getting to the end is a wonderful journey.
Channeling Louise Nevelson this is my sculpture of boxes stacked and filled with the debris found in a woman’s world … the kitchen. Created in fabric and thread. Mostly Gray with a little bit of color was a challenge, to do a monochromatic quilt. I added the little bit of color that every woman needs.
Woman’s Groundbreaking Accomplishment
Louise Nevelson was the first woman to do sculpture on a grand scale using objects found in debris piles. Sculpture was no longer just a man’s world.
Techniques
Blind Stitch Applique. Heavy quilting to give the feel of movement. Fabric pens used to create the plate and the casserole. Each box was built separately and then put together.
Materials
Cotton, cotton batting