Friday, August 7, 2015

From the World Quilt Exhibits, 2014/5

In this year, 2013, this quilt asks the question “is the 2nd Amendment useful in to-day’s society” and is the “right to bear arms” being taken out of context from its original intent of over two hundred years ago? 

Reflecting on the horrific events of Sandy Hook Elementary School and other educational institutions involving the misuse of firearms and mental illness, this hand-appliquéd, hand-embroidered 100% cotton quilt, with its soft, slightly variegated blue organic, natural plant-dyed background focuses on the Statue of Liberty representing not only liberty but freedom from oppression.  Holding her torch of fire high, in itself a symbol of knowledge and enlightenment, she is superimposed upon the Great Seal of the United States.  With its eagles wings outstretched, the Seal represents a nation’s independence and hope for the future.  In sorrow, Liberty looks down upon the dying child at her feet.  The child, broken into pieces, is inspired by the painting of the Death of Marat, 1793, by Jacques-Louis David, as a tribute to his friend, Marat who was betrayed and killed at the height of the French Revolution.  The Fallen Child represents all who have died in the school shootings photo-transferred on the front of Marat’s desk.  

This quilt is my tribute to all who died at Sandy Hook and to their families.  As a Canadian, I feel no less the grief that Americans have felt with these massacres.  In a land where freedom is so cherished, that same freedom has also allowed for such devastation and destruction in people’s lives.
Sandra Small Proudfoot © 2013, Canada 
In collaboration with long-arm quilter, Mary Light, Canada
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The front of Marat's desk lists all the schools where massacres occurred.  Although Canadian, I support through donation to the Sandy Hook Promise.  The 2nd Amendment is embroidered around the edge of the wallquilt.  Mary Light's longarm quilting skills are beyond anything I could imagine doing by hand.  I take the artist's statement to her and from there, she devises her own designwork in machine quilting.  I am a traditionalist by nature but I have nothing but admiration for Mary's work.  She is a very talented woman.
It is the middle of the night, I've been having respiratory issues which woke me up.  I've inhaled too many chemicals from textiles via a hot steam iron over the years and have a weakness there now.
Rosey

 

posted by RoseyP @ 1:17 AM

5 Comments:

At August 7, 2015 at 6:24 AM , Blogger Laura in IA said...

So inspirational. Thank you for sharing. Sorry you are not sleeping well. But, at the same time I am so glad this has not stopped you completely from continuing to create with fabric.

 
At August 7, 2015 at 10:16 AM , Blogger RoseyP said...

Thanks, Laura, Marat was killed by a knife which normally would rest beneath the bathtub in which he was assassinated, I'll put up the painting on the main site as I can't do it from here. When I got down to appliqueing the rifle, something happened to me. I began to cry. It brought up all kinds of emotions I didn't know were still there. My late husband died from a rifle shot in 1972. It seems that I'm able to work through things with cloth, I guess. It's a piece that, of all my quiltwork, has had the most impact on me. I can see it has impacted on others as well for some have put it up on the internet with their photofile.
Rosey

 
At August 7, 2015 at 8:44 PM , Blogger Unknown said...

Rosey, you are truly an artist in every sense of the word. Your quilt is amazing.

 
At August 8, 2015 at 11:57 AM , Blogger RoseyP said...

Thank you Pat. I taught quilting in Toronto for nine years then one day a friend came to photograph my work for a juried exhibit. When he was through, he said, "you really ought to consider going to art college". As a school principal, I respected what he had to say but as is my want, I rejected the idea, giving a list of reasons 'why not', the last of which was "I'm just a quilter". Well, the next morning when I got out of bed the first thing I thought of was "why not"...why not try. And so I did. By entering juried exhibits, by expressing myself in cloth, I am fulfilling my diploma in design. Age of graduation: 48 yrs old. Art College was an experience that I wish I'd had as a young person but likely wouldn't have appreciated it as much as I did in my early forties. Never think that we are "just quilters".
Rosey

 
At August 24, 2015 at 3:25 AM , Blogger Fran (Sth Aust) said...

Rosey, I really got shivers down my spine looking at the quilt and reading the explanation. As Laura said, it is very inspirational and awe inspiring. Congratulations on giving the world something to really think about.

 

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