Articulation Retrospective by Donna Clement
Clockwise from white chair - Donna Clement, Ingrid Lincoln, Leann Clifford, Wendy Klotz, Lesley Turner, Amanda Onchulenko
For over twenty years this group has been a part of my life. Members have come and gone, and we are currently standing at six. Over the years we have had 30 shows, exhibiting in so many different venues and galleries across Canada and in the United Kingdom.
A lot of our exhibits have been based upon yearly trips across Canada we called a Study Session, usually lasting for a week spent gathering images, impressions, and the essence of the places we stayed. From the BC’s Salish Sea; to the Alberta Badlands; to the farmland of southern Saskatchewan; to Manitoba for the Icelandic heritage in Gimli; to the UNESCO World Heritage Site in Old Quebec, a neighbourhood of Quebec City; to the shores of the Bay of Fundy in Nova Scotia and New Brunswick. All these trips (and more) were bonding experiences for our members and created a tight bond between us.
I have selected pieces from each of our current members from some of these Bodies of Work.
Wendy Klotz
Our working title was 'Women Rock' but when we had the exhibition in 2011 at the Whyte Museum of the Rockies in Banff, it was changed to 'Women of Fibre'. Wendy used her felting skills to make hats representing the various phases of Mary Vaux's life in the early 1900s.
Mary Vaux Wore Many Hats
"Mary
Vaux was a woman of many talents. The first hat depicts her part in
Philadelphia society. The second hat depicts her work measuring and
documenting the movement of the glaciers in a time where women did not
normally take on this type of scientific work. And the third hat depicts
her time in the mountains documenting and painting the wildflowers."
Leann Clifford
We
had many Study Sessions on Vancouver Island, in Duncan, Victoria and
Tofino – each with various different subjects examined. Leann produced
this piece using cyantype based upon the Salish Sea for the 'Forest and
Sea and the Place Between' exhibition in 2019.
Ripple / Fronds
"As
the sea makes its way to land, it creates a beautiful rippling pattern
in the sea continuing on land, contouring the land and altering the
landscape. A fiddlehead starts tight and firm and as it grows it opens
and spreads creating patterns on the forest floor."
Ingrid Lincoln
After a trip to NB and NS to study the Bay of Fundy we connected with a British textile group (Material Girls) and had our first travelling show entitled 'Articulated Materials: Bridging Waters'. After exhibiting in three venues outside of London in 2012, the exhibit then travelled to four locations across Canada in 2013-14. Ingrid used applique and free machine embroidery for this piece.
Cape D'Or
"The
Cape D'Or area has a confluence of waters which creates dangerous and
rough seas. The day we visited we caught the end of hurricane force
winds. The seas were churning, the wind was gusting, and the sun
reflected off the surface of the waves. This piece attempts to catch the
energy of that day."
Lesley Turner
This exhibit started with a trip to Cold Lake to study snow and ice, but when we returned to Calgary we discovered the Calgary Opera had written a new opera based upon the life of Martin Frobisher and his commission in the 1570s from Queen Elizabeth 1 to find a Northwest Passage. We were involved with them throughout the development process and gathered scraps from their costume designers to incorporate into some of our pieces. We exhibited the show, entitled 'Meta Incognita' alongside the operatic performances in Banff and Calgary in 2007, and Halifax in 2008. Quite a few people did pieces based upon the northern lights but I loved Lesley's presentation with her unique hanging apparatus.
Compass with Latitude
"A
human figure in a vast landscape points the way to finding a sale
passage. Freedom and flexibility are keys to finding one's way while
being guided by one's moral compass. The work's feminine form references
the role women play as protectors of a society's moral, pointing the
way for the next generation."
Amanda Onchulenko
The work for 'Provinces' was done as individual members' response to Canada's 10 provinces and 3 territories. Each piece was composed of two panels hanging as one, measuring over 4 feet wide by almost 7 feet long. They were designed two-sided to be walked through. We exhibited in Calgary in 2020 just as COVID-19 hit. Amanda used dye sublimation, painting, and photography in hers.
New Brunswick
"As
a newlywed I experienced New Brunswick's sunny coast, dry docked
fishing boasts, side yards and ditches overflowing with lupine and rangy
gardens, and fresh laundry balanced on the breeze. Not far from surging
tides I purchased a pair of 6" carved, wooden figures. This Acadian
couple has graced our fireplace for over 25 years."
Donna Clement
Our
very first study session was to the UNESCO World Heritage Site of
Alberta's Dinosaur Provincial Park in 2004. We had the exhibit 'Alberta
Badlands' in Okotoks the next year. We visited in early summer and the
flowers were little spots of colour everywhere. I have used the
techniques of applique, hand stitching, and free machine embroidery.
Desert Flowers
"Here
in the Badlands the fleeting, magical bursting to life of the profusion
of wildflowers is framed by ancient weathered sandstone cliffs carved
by the wind and water."
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