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
1998 - 2021
9″x 9.5″,
“Dreaming“
2015 thermal transfer on cotton, chain stitch 11″ x 11″
$300
2021 mixed fiber, cotton appliqué and embroidery 24″ x 19″,
2021, printed organza and lace appliqué
15″ x 8.5″
Jacquard Woven Hangings
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,
68.58 cm X 101.6 cm
27” h X 40” w
Warp: cotton,
Weft: 1 shuttle, cotton and metallic
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
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
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
68 cm x 105. cm
27”h X 40” w
Warp: cotton,
Weft:1 shuttle, cotton and metallic
2021
a new though to be continued.
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To see an overview of past work (1985 - 2008) you can visit my Visual AIDS profile