Summary

The text reflects on the therapeutic and symbolic power of sewing in art, inspired by Louise Bourgeois, as a means of coping with hardship and expressing a desire for unity and peace, particularly in the context of Women's Day and the conflict in Ukraine.

Abstract

The author of the text, who is also an artist, contemplates the healing nature of artistic creation, particularly through sewing. Drawing inspiration from Louise Bourgeois, a renowned artist known for incorporating textile work into her oeuvre, the author describes the meditative and calming effect of the rhythmic act of sewing. Amidst personal and global turmoil, including the conflict in Ukraine, the act of creating a miniature Ghent Altarpiece from reassembled canvas pieces becomes a symbolic gesture of comfort and resilience. The artist's work on this day, coinciding with Women's Day, is offered for free, with donations going to support those affected by the conflict. The text underscores the fragility of artificial borders and the potential for art and collective action to mend divisions, suggesting that creativity and shared ideals can be a powerful force against adversity.

Opinions

The author finds sculpting as a way of either accepting or abandoning the past, suggesting it as a therapeutic process.
Sewing is seen as a form of meditation, providing a tactile and calming break from the chaos of the world.
The act of creating art, especially through sewing, is viewed as an act of reparation and therapy, akin to Bourgeois's "unending reparation."
The author expresses skepticism about the practicality of art in dire circumstances, yet continues to create, indicating the intrinsic value of art regardless of its immediate utility.
The process of making art is a personal penitence and a constructive way to cope with feelings of helplessness.
The author believes in the power of art as a talisman, offering protection and hope, and as a means to support causes, in this case, aiding those affected by the conflict in Ukraine.
There is a critique of artificial borders as "false constructs," advocating for unity and the shared human experience over divisive politics.
The text suggests that collective creativity and voice can stitch together ideals and values, potentially overcoming the actions of "the worst madman."
The author implies that Louise Bourgeois would advocate for active creation over passive consumption, such as scrolling, emphasizing the importance of tangible artistic expression.

Sewn Elements

Art as succour in difficult times

“Every day you have to abandon your past or accept it, and if you cannot accept, you become a sculptor”

Louise Bourgeois — artist.

The woman is on my mind as the atelier doors are opened spilling the day onto a piece that I had thought I would work on today.

Reference material, charcoal and tempera ready to go — but hands have other ideas — reach for the blue oil and yellow thread.

I love to sew. Love the mark-making potential of the tack stitch and the tactile break that a sewn line gives a surface.

Bourgeois, growing up in a tapestry workshop — cutting patters and watching the injured made whole — used knitting and stitching frequently in her work, explaining it as an act of unending reparation — therapy through making.

It is true that the rhythmic repetition of needle through cloth has a meditative quality that can slow the heartbeat, calming.

So, I fall back on the certainty of “destroy to create”.

Cutting up an old canvas I re-arrange the pieces, intending to sew them back together in the form of a miniature Ghent Altarpiece — something I imagine could act as a source of portable, folded comfort in times of hardship…

Yeah, right?

One of the things to absolutely remember to throw into your plastic bag before going on the run is a useless bit of art!

What?

Blistered fingers continue to push the spike needle through thick, unyielding cloth — Why?

A Penitence?

Certainly, doing something constructive alleviates my feeling of utter helplessness and I calm as regular yellow dashes of hope join blue with blue creating a postcard sized talisman — a portable protection — for me as much as anyone.

I put a sign next to the hand-drawn cards on my open door:

This day, Women's Day, they are free.

(Oooo, set Ukraine free..)

A couple take two and give me money for the cause — which I wing straight to the volunteers on the Polish border thanks to the invisible thread of communication that we all hold in our hands.

After all, red lines on maps — they were always false constructs — patchworks of power, fragile,

where sometimes the seams give under the strain -

and we all have to learn the art of darning — are for the history books.

We could all create something amazing with our linked voices now -

stitching and reinforcing ideals and values with kindness, empathy, that may defeat the worst madman?

That is what Louise would do.

She would have no patience with scrolling…