Pushing the Surface
Textile art began thousands of years ago as an embellishment for
costume and blanket, always bound to function, setting and
custom. Today these elements serve more as a springboard for an
art form that flaunts 21st century possibilities. The
Johnson-Humrickhouse Museum, in Coshocton, Ohio, is pleased to
present an exhibition of innovative textile art May 16 – Aug. 9.
Pushing the Surface features 24 art quilts by artists
from across the United States as well as Israel and Ireland. No
longer fit for a bed, the art quilt has the nerve to be any size
or shape and more often than not, has thrown symmetry to the
wind. These pieces may be painted, dyed, laser printed,
appliquéd or fused. The techniques are as varied as the subject
matter, which is as varied as the effect. What they do share in
common is the basic quilt feature of joining at least two layers
by quilting.
Pushing
the Surface,
a biennial event at the museum, is in its sixth year. An ample
number of works by Ohio artists is always showcased. This year’s
participants include Sharon Bell (Shaker Heights), Dorothy Bush
(Columbus), Georgie Cline (Columbus), Britt Friedman (Oberlin),
Theresa Heaton (Fremont), John Lefelholz (Athens), June O’Neil
(Cleveland Heights), and Sonja Henney Tugend (Wooster).
Lefelholz’s work, which is usually a satirical comment on some
malady in our American culture, is entitled Robbing Peter to
Pay Paul. No doubt this piece will continue in the same
vein. For a more pictorial approach, Georgie Cline’s Sciota
River XIV will evoke appreciation of the natural beauty
found in Ohio.
The remaining fifteen artists emanate from other states and
countries. Illinois artist Kathy Weaver will amaze viewers with her
Dynamic Systems. A fantasy piece, the design resembles the
complex intertwining of internal organs as well as the bright
colors and diversity of forms found in a coral reef. The glowing
colors and fabulous shapes make this quilt an unforgettable
piece. Jane Lloyd’s piece, Spiral Horizons, is composed
of many, many rows and columns of spirals in a wide spectrum of
colors. Overlaying the spirals are circles, vertical lines and
broken horizontal lines. The complexity of this piece along with
its hypnotic charisma is testimony to the aesthetic and
technical ability of this artist from Ireland. Michiganite
Elizabeth Busch’s Echo is also an eerie piece. In each of
its thirty squares are glowing white “balls” that seem to float
off the surface. Concentric circles are quilted in the center of
the piece, creating an inward focus for the piece.
