Mary Provosty, a recent Arts Grant Recipient,
has a showing of her
linoleum block print quilt images at
Myra's Dionysus
121 Calhoun St, Clifton
November 2 - December 21, 2008
Opening reception - Dec. 14th, 2-4 pm
Mary's statement on her quilt project is posted below.
(click on images to enlarge)
"Quilting the Common Path," a 77" X 77" quilt made from 20 linoleum prints, digitized and reprinted on 12"X12" silk squares, is the result of a creative process that began two years ago when my daughter, suffering from a mental illness, was in a residence facility for 7 months leaving me time to return to creative work that had been put on hold. I returned to linoleum print making because it combined the harshness of cutting with creative mark making. Using images from the African-American and Latino experience, Shamanistic and indigenous religion, and contemporary life, I began to create images that viewers associated with dreams. Individually and together, they seemed to suggest narratives of suffering, liberation, and consolation. All of this connected my own struggles to the life experience of others. The current project will combine 16 linoleum prints, arranged 4 x 4, to suggest both linear narrative readings and an overall aesthetic design. This design will be emphasized by 4 smaller mandala like medallions on each corner. Tentative titles for the new prints include: "Volcano," "Messenger," "The Lesson," "Passageway," "Initiation," "The Magician," "Transformation," and "High Seas," "Oasis." The quilting form joins the lives of women and families (commemorative quilts) with larger communities (eg, the AIDs project) and with physical comfort and aesthetic value. The tension between the static design and linear narrative complements the images deliberate potential for multiple narratives: there is no right to tell the story and there may be no story at all, just the pattern. The diverse and common iconography is deeply connected both to my own personal journey of struggle and understanding and to the paths of many others and of many different communities. The linoleum prints will be made at Tiger Lily Press. To build audience, the prints will be shown separately. The digital reproduction on silk will be handled by a digital photographer. The final quilting will take place at local community centers (The quilters at McKie Recreation Center have already helped explain the technical demands of the project). The entire production process will continue to connect my journey to that of many others. The project and its outcome are part of our common path, finding comfort and strength in others.
