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| Dorothy Winter |
“These quilts, these time honoured traditions, certainly hold
their place in history.”
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| The Seasons (Hildegard von Bingen) |
The art of quilting holds more history, in particular that of women, than one might initially imagine. We traditionally view quilts as functional bedding, which are decorative and commemorative, even historical, however, the value in the artistic expression of the quilter is often overlooked. We know quilts to be a source of warm comfort, an heirloom perhaps, but most do not think of them as holding historic messages. In times and cultures where women held a quieter place within the family unit, quilts provided a clever medium for females to articulate ideas and to tell a story.
To Dorothy Winter, who, for over 20 years, has dedicated
herself to producing meaningful works of art, quilts matter. She began making
her quilts for practical purposes for her family when they lived in a
farmhouse. These family treasures made way to future projects. Producing numerous
quilts over the years, her scenes vary telling of the times, all holding
memories and stories; historical really. There are scenes of farmland, and
woodland, and Punch and Judy entertaining children on the beach. There are
quilts made from the ties of men in her social network and quilts depicting the
work of artists such as Kazimir Malevich, and then there is the piece shown on
the cover titled The Seasons (Hildegard von Bingen). Dorothy was inspired and
notes about Hildegard ‘She wrote down her thoughts, composed poems and music
and corresponded with many of the rulers in Europe. Her influence was
far-reaching. Some of her writings were very relevant to the problems we face
today. Specifically women’s rights and environmental responsibility.’
Dorothy marvels that no two quilts are alike in their
execution. Even where the same pattern is used, the fabric chosen, the colour
placement and the stitching together, produce a completely different piece of
art. Her works include different fabrics, even silk, which are placed to
enhance the idea of the project with their texture and colour.  |
| Winter Spruce |
In this day and age where sewing machines can make an easier
job of these big quilts, Dorothy prefers to hand stitch her work. ‘Hand
stitching allows more flexibility, gives a softer finish, and, since I am
in no hurry, it is a very tranquil activity during which I enjoy seeing
the texture give life to the material’. Starting with ideas, and
drawings, and listening to the fabric chosen for the quilt, these hand-stitched
pieces can take between three months and up to a year for her to complete.
Challenging the idea ‘if it is useful, it is not art’,
Dorothy began hanging her quilts on walls displaying them to be viewed as the
works of art they are. Her respect
for the quilts is evident in the quality of her work, the images are beautiful
and masterfully stitched, and truly must be scene to fully appreciate the
craftsmanship. These quilts, this time honoured tradition, certainly hold their
place in history.
Check out the Winter Solstice 2013 edition of The Link magazine which features Dorothy Winter as the cover artist.
©Janet Jarrell 2014
Check out the Winter Solstice 2013 edition of The Link magazine which features Dorothy Winter as the cover artist.
©Janet Jarrell 2014
I liked the article, very much. Especially the bit about quilting "provided a clever medium for females to articulate ideas and to tell a story." Have you considered adding links for things like Hildegard von Bingen?
ReplyDeleteThat is a great suggestion Colin. Thank you. I'll work on that - and I think I will use it on a go forward basis. Much appreciated.
ReplyDelete