Listomania
Today's lists, 20.5.20
I collect strange things. I keep all my old lists.
I use lists endlessly to manage my life; I often have many lists on the side in my kitchen. Each will concentrate on a different aspect of my life - this course, birthdays, phone calls to make, exhibition applications, domestic tasks and shopping lists. Somehow, and somewhat naively, possibly, for me, writing a list makes me feel more in control of things.
Another part of my obsessive nature is that I always buy the same note pad. It's white, square, 9 x 9cm. Perfect for my daily habit of attempting to bring order to my life, square by square, list by list. Louise Bourgeois describes drawing as tethering her thoughts and that's how I also regard my lists. If something is written down on my list I don't have to remember it, and (hopefully) I will do it.
When I noticed this habit, I began to keep my old lists.
I feel that these lists provide a quirky narrative to my life; it becomes a curious and sometimes uncomfortable perspective on a self portrait, the private made public.
I trialled a couple of samples for an idea to make an abstract reclining nude using my lists stitched to fabric....
I use lists endlessly to manage my life; I often have many lists on the side in my kitchen. Each will concentrate on a different aspect of my life - this course, birthdays, phone calls to make, exhibition applications, domestic tasks and shopping lists. Somehow, and somewhat naively, possibly, for me, writing a list makes me feel more in control of things.
Another part of my obsessive nature is that I always buy the same note pad. It's white, square, 9 x 9cm. Perfect for my daily habit of attempting to bring order to my life, square by square, list by list. Louise Bourgeois describes drawing as tethering her thoughts and that's how I also regard my lists. If something is written down on my list I don't have to remember it, and (hopefully) I will do it.
When I noticed this habit, I began to keep my old lists.
I feel that these lists provide a quirky narrative to my life; it becomes a curious and sometimes uncomfortable perspective on a self portrait, the private made public.
I trialled a couple of samples for an idea to make an abstract reclining nude using my lists stitched to fabric....
Listomania 1
Netting, paper lists, calico, wadding, sheeting; stitch 32 x 24 x 8cm
It's hard to stitch paper as it disintegrates. It creates an interesting surface, but quickly falls apart, so I used some white netting to hold it in place and I stitched it all to a flat piece of 2 layers of cotton sandwiching a layer of very thick wadding.
It was exciting to see what happened! The spiral stitching I used caused the piece to change and to become sculptural! Also, the stitching blurred the edges of each note so that the meanings of the lists become much more opaque and unintelligible. The final quilted piece is quite rigid. I know that stitching in certain ways can transform cloth and this was one instant. I was very pleased with the result.
It was exciting to see what happened! The spiral stitching I used caused the piece to change and to become sculptural! Also, the stitching blurred the edges of each note so that the meanings of the lists become much more opaque and unintelligible. The final quilted piece is quite rigid. I know that stitching in certain ways can transform cloth and this was one instant. I was very pleased with the result.
Listomania 2
Netting, paper lists, calico, wadding, sheeting; stitch 140 x 50 x 6cm
This panel is one of 4 and is part of my plan to construct a reclining nude, but I haven't yet stitched it. Possibly something else to work on for the next module?
