Saturday, October 23, 2021

One Thought: 20 Years of Making Textile works


One Thought: 20 Years of Making Textile works by joe lewis. 

September 3 – 28, 2021 

Atelier Ludmila Gallery 129 1/2 Hunter St. W, #1 Peterborough ON.

 

When I was invited to pay to show in a commercial gallery in Peterborough Ontario I decided to go for it and use the walls to look at a body of work that i have been working on since my first trip to the lands inhabited by the Gwichʼin, the Hän, the Kaska Dena, the Tagish, the Northern and Southern Tutchone, and the Tlingit (Teslin) peoples in the lands know as the Yukon ( a Gwich'in name meaning "great river." )  Territories in Canada's north. 

Out of  this trip a new visual vocabulary based on road signs enter my work but one in particular came to the fore. A silhouette recognizable as a body builder competition pose. It struck me at the time was right to have an objectified male figure to use to explore the reactions of a viewing audience. My ideas about how this figure might be viewed recently when i was working on the newest banner pieces when the cut out figure could be read as child size with all the energy and curiosity bottled up inside ready to leap into action. i had to let go of my cynicism

How people respond to my work has always intrigued me. The idea of using one image only opened the widow to exploring / learning different weaving techniques; Jacquard and Tapestry and numerous surface design techniques; needle work, image transfer, appliqué, piecing and natural dying. 


SAMPLERS 


    “In different terms”

 1999-2021
thermal transfer on felt with couching on found damask
26″ x 25″,  $275

 


 “Waiting”
2007- 2021

Natural dyes, transfer print appliqué on cotton handkerchief 18″ x 18″   

 $350

 


 “Working men in log cabin” 

1997 - 2020
Pieced cotton quilt square. Varnish transfer and appliqué
12″ x 12″,  $275

 

 

“Two”

 2017
Applique with chain stitch on pieced fabrics unknown fibre
24″ x 12″,  $350

 


 untitled
2021, 

pulled thread and chain stitch on layered cotton12.5″ x 12.5″,

 $275

 

 

Man In Garden”
2017-2021

reverse appliqué, appliqué and stitching
4′ x 32″ approx., 

 $1,200

 


 “Sampler
2019

 pulled thread work and chain stitch on found linen place mat
19″ x 13″,  

$350


“Shield: unnoticeable man”
1998 - 2021
pieced fabric and chain stitch appliqué
9″x 9.5″, 
$250


 “Dreaming
2015 thermal transfer on cotton, chain stitch 11″ x 11″

$300



 

Frame
2021 mixed fiber, cotton appliqué and embroidery 24″ x 19″,
 $350

 


Wistful
2021, printed organza and lace appliqué
15″ x 8.5″ 
NFS

 Jacquard Woven Hangings


"(Mud Flap) Boy in Landscape“ 
2007, 
Jacquard Woven Textile
48.26 cm w X 76.5 cm h
19” w X 30” h
Warp: 6 colour repeat cotton,
Weft: 2 1st shuttle mixed white 2/8 cotton
and mesmerized sewing thread
2nd shuttle Black 2/8 Cotton, 

 


Red Tool Belt, 
2003, 
Jacquard Woven Textile
68.58 cm X 101.6 cm
27” h X 40” w
Warp: cotton,
Weft: 1 shuttle, cotton and metallic 

Reflections on The Man in the Moon
 2010, Jacquard Woven Textile
Dimensions
48.26 cm wide X 142. cm h
19” w X 55.9 “ h
Warp six colour repeated cotton
Weft 1st shuttle black
2nd shuttle White



Blue Sky With Red Rose Camouflage
 2007, Jacquard Woven Textile, 48.26
cm wide X 1.42 meters High (19 “ X 56”)
Warp: 6 colour repeat cotton
Weft: 3 colour
1st shuttle Black 4/8 cotton and mercerized
sewing thread
2nd Red mixed 4/8 cotton and 2 shades of red
mercerized cotton sewing thread
3rd Grey mercerized cotton sewing thread 




“Young Harlequin In The Landscape”  
 2007, Jacquard Woven Textile
48.26 cm w X 142. cm h
19 “ w X 56”h
Warp: 6 colour repeat cotton
Weft: 3 colour/
1st Black mixed 4/8 cotton and sewing thread
2nd grey mercerized cotton and sewing
thread
3rd white 4/8 cotton


“Blue Genes” 
2003,
 Jacquard Woven Textile
68 cm x 105. cm
27”h X 40” w
Warp: cotton,
Weft:1 shuttle, cotton and metallic

BANNERS


Sky Child”
2021
painted canvas with reverse appliqué with pieced band
19″ x 4′ $2,000



Dancing Child”
2021
Pieced found textile appliqué on silk 19″ x 4′ $2,000

 

 

 

a new though to be continued.

 ___________________________________

 

To see an overview of past work (1985 - 2008) you can visit my Visual AIDS profile

Visual AIDS/ JoeLewis