Friday, December 30, 2011

Female Dilgence

Marita Kratz
Diessen, Germany




In 2006, Marita Kratz started thinking about how a modern woman lives by the antiquated guidelines of an "ideal" woman. No doubt, you're familiar with the old "standards"...she must be kind, good, caring, loving, and beautiful...


Marita attempts to exaggerate traditional ideals and seeks interaction with the public.


She began a project as a visual investigation of female diligence.
In 2006, Marita spent hours putting her diligence into crocheting 12 roses one day. 


Soon, other women joined in and offered help to crochet white roses for her piece. 


Today she has 10,000.


She has installed the roses in multiple venues between 2007 and 2011.


Read more about this interesting performance artists here.

Thursday, December 22, 2011

Small Challenge (or nothing)



Contents of the envelope my 93 year old mother, Bertha Sulak, gave to me this week. 

Sunday, December 18, 2011

Learning about Kantha and Sujuni Stitching

Kantha stitching, first attempt, C. Mauersberger, 2011

I attended a 2 day workshop at the Cleveland Museum of Art with Dorothy Caldwell on December 3-4, 2011, hosted by the Textile Art Alliance of the CMA. 


The primary activity we did was to create small pieces using the running stitch in the manner of the women in the Bihar region of India called Sujuni and Kantha
Detail of Kantha-stitched quilt.
21 individual "blocks" stitched by 21 women in the workshop held in Cleveland, OH, 2011
3 blocks after MUCH more stitching
This 2-day workshop was just grand.
Dorothy introduced us to the work of the women of Bihar, India. She brought samples of their work for us to inspect and she presented 2 informative powerpoint lectures filled with many many more informative images.

For those of you who have attended any of Dorothy's workshops, you'll know that she gives each person her unfailing attention. 


My friend and fellow artist, Mary Ann Tipple, also posted about it here.

This morning I decided to draw a bit to workout some imagery apropos for a Kantha-inspired piece. 
I began by looking at the Pointsettia plant on my table. 
 Then I drew.



We'll see what happens next...

Saturday, December 17, 2011

Marks like Murmerations

Camilia León
Santiego, Chilé



These drawings remind me of the video of the collection of starlings called Murmurations post last month.


Camilia León marks are simple and lovely.
More can be found on her website here.


Enjoy!

Thursday, December 15, 2011

Wind algorithyms

Peter Jellitsch
Vienna, Austria

STB/S02/130°, ink & pencil on paper, 75 x 75 cm (unique), Peter Jellitsch 2011
STB/S01/130°, ink & pencil on paper, 75 x 75 cm (unique), Peter Jellitsch 2011

The hand drawing is an essential part of my work. It allows me a physical acquisition of invisible digital calculatory work and includes, of course, mistakes and instinctive extension. (Peter Jellitsch)


See more here.

Sunday, December 11, 2011

Regret: Undo, Cntrl + Z, Reply All

Kathryn Schulz
the world's leading wrongologist
Author, Journalist, Public Speaker


Apropos of this time of year, when we tend to think about what we've done. 
Good. Bad. Unfortunate.
You may agree (or not) with what Kathryn says. I like it.


I encourage you to watch the video to the very end, it's well worth it.





 "If we have goals and dreams and we want to do our best, and if we love people and we don’t want to hurt them or lose them, we should feel pain when things go wrong. The point isn’t to live without any regrets, the point is to not hate ourselves for having them… We need to learn to love the flawed, imperfect things that we create, and to forgive ourselves for creating them. Regret doesn’t remind us that we did badly — it reminds us that we know we can do better.”

She wrote Being Wrong, Adventures in the Margin of Error


What do you think about regret?

Sunday, December 4, 2011

Mind Map in a Museum Exhibit

Focus Fiber 2011-12



Mind Map 
(and detail)
40" x 41"
2011
Hand-stitched Silk/Wool embroidery thread on Linen
© Christine Mauersberger

I've been waiting to share this artwork with you. I wanted to post a pic earlier this year, now I can!
I made this piece in during a time earlier this year as I worked through making a decision about my future. I was offered a once-in-a-lifetime position as a curator to a major art collection.  
How does one say no to a rewarding and gratifying career?

It wasn't easy, but I said no.


The only way I could handle the decision-making process was to dive into my artwork. 
Hand-stitching pointed the way. It comforted me. 


The small marks by my needle and thread became the conduit for release of my thoughts as I meditated over my decision. 


I am humbled and pleased to announce that the artwork is included in Focus Fiber: 2011-12 a juried exhibit of contemporary fiber art at the Canton Museum of Art, Canton, Ohio. I posted a blog about the entry to the show earlier this year


The Textile Art Alliance of the Cleveland Museum of Art  co-sponsored this show.


The Opening Reception is this Thursday, Dec. 8,  from 6 - 8 pm.


If you live within driving distance, come join us for the opening. 
Or plan a visit to the museum from now through the first week of March, 2012. 


I'll post more pictures later this week of other artists' works in this show.
There are some grand artists in the exhibition, I cannot wait to see it all in person.
Congratulations to all the artists who were selected!