Reciprocity

I began a new piece a couple of months ago. Similar to oneintotwotwointoone from last year, this one is two different colours of wool felt inlay, joined with a green silk thread.

When I am done, I will have stitched approximately 14,000 stitches, about 8 stitches to the inch. Including the time taken to design, trace, and cut through the two layers of felt (with an X-Acto knife), I estimate the whole piece (2 panels) will take about 400 hours.

The first panel is finished. Hand cut and stitched wool felt inlay, silk thread, 36"x70"

It's a major commitment of time and attention, with very few exciting moments. I wouldn't say it is exactly meditative, as stitching through the thick, dense felt doesn't "flow" - it is more of a process of poking around with the needle until it is in the right place and I can push it through with the help of a thimble. Also, I work in quiet, no music or podcasts for me. So why do I do it?

Somehow, I feel this work is necessary. Not that the world needs more stuff in it, but perhaps it does need more care and attention, more trust that our best efforts will heal on some level. The world needs mending. The optical shimmer that happens when the piece is held vertically gives me a thrill -- it does what I hoped it would, which is to energize the edges where the two separate elements touch. The point of contact between light and dark, the fresh green of new life.

I am also thinking about a conversation I had last night with some artist friends, where we were bemoaning how the arts have been systematically disenfranchised and underfunded by governments since the 1990's. I wonder how my work on this project functions as in the context of labour. My own physical and creative labour is an essential element of my art-making, yet I can easily charge $25/hour for mending and alterations, while I make about $10/hour for the same skills used in a less "functional" form.

Now I start the second panel, the reverse of the first. Maybe I will have it all figured out by the time I am done - hopefully by the end of August!

I gratefully acknowledge the support of the BC Arts Council and The Felt Store.