Serious issue in Houston

The last two days, the artquilt email group has been abuzz with a discussion which (alas) took place last year for the same reason. Certain art entries who ended in the winners circle, have been proven to be almost direct copies of another's work. The PORTRAIT category has a direct copy of a Vermeer painting done with Kaffe Fasset fabric!!!!   Worse is the multiple prizewinner in another category PAINTED ART QUILT both of which appear to be copies of photos in the public domain.

The first prize winner in the painted category appears to be a cropped exact copy of a photo from a website


http://www.freeimages.com/photo/jamie-lee-1385122


 

 


Many people have made comments about this. Most are discouraged and questioning why a category that is supposed to be ART, has resulted in entries that been rewarded for appropriation of others' work!

" I realize Houston show officials can't be all knowing about photos and art quilts that copy them, but surely there is something that can be done to correct this, at least in the future, or is there? Again, the Master's piece with girl in earrings should be recognizable by anyone associated with art. "

"  The issue is using another artist's work as the basis of your own art quilt and no matter how dazzling [the ] work is technically, if she copied some existing work even if it is out of copyright, it is not an art quilt in the eyes of the serious art quilt world."

"  I was always under the understanding that to do work on a national level especially at the amazing Visions, your work needed to be truly original."

"   I complain because I once was VERY excited to show my work there and I feel that, with so many copying other forms of art, I'm not competing with other quilters but with Vermeer or  photographers or famous Art Nouveau ads, or what have you in a category that is specifically about 
personal creativity. "

The same issue arose last year when a major prizewinner was a stroke for stroke copy of a modern painting....same colors, same composition different colored background. ( Admittedly the artist gave credit to the original artist....but what were the JUDGES thinking?)

 

There are those also who complain bitterly that we are somehow spoilers for stating that the emperor has no clothes! And some are tired of the repeated cry for ART in ART quilts.

 

" Please do not get into YET another beating a dead horse series of messages. Quilt exhibited, got award, move on, move on!! (and next year, everyone can copy an Old Master painting :)" 

 

" Until I can create work that outshines that of another artist do I have a right to criticize how they work and consider them not worthy of the prizes and awards they win?"

 

We are PROFESSIONAL ARTISTS who are trying to maintain some credibility in the art community.

I am particularly outspoken about this issue....I agree. Maybe I am a bit of a brat. But I have also become so disheartened that I have not entered Houston for several years now because the criteria is so NOT professional. This is my livelihood as well as my passion. Others share my opinion.  So if IQA has dropped the ball, we have to keep nudging them to pick it up yes?

Creating line in fabric art.

 Line is an artistic element that can be used to describe the edges and contours of an object. Line can also define a direction for the eye to travel. Line of various thickness and weight can also generate a mood; calm for lyrical curved lines, tense for jagged irregular ones. In art quilts, lines can be created by adding narrow strips of fabric or cutting a thin channel through which the underlying fabric reveals itself (as in reverse appliqué) or by stitching. Let’s make a sample to explore some of these techniques. We will start with a small piece of fabric with a large linear pattern.

Your one rule is that you cannot cover or cut this original piece. It’ll be a challenge to make a unified composition from this almost arbitrary start, but it can be done! This fragment is from a rayon sarong measuring about 7 inches. You can see the lines are in a yellow color, so I am placing it on a yellow background in anticipation I might be cutting some other fabrics to reveal the underlying colour. The object of this exercise is to create a fully realized linear composition by extending the already existing lines in the starter fabric. The first thing we must do is to fill the rest of the space with fabrics that relate to those already there.

These do NOT have to match in color, but rather need to be sympathetic to the tone and color family you are starting with. Notice the entire surface is now covered. I have added more blue and black shapes to begin to connect the composition to the edges of the rectangle. Notice that some connecting lines are also appearing by cutting through the top layer and aligning the underlying line with the original fabric pattern. In the lower right, where the black fabric completes a shape, I have cut a space that reveals a red line instead of the yellow. I LIKE it for its variety! The top part of the composition seemed neglected so I begin to introduce lines to connect the bottom to the top of the rectangle.

Remember that ALL of the composition is important, so be mindful of the rectangle as you develop the image. I felt I needed another black shape on the left edge to draw the eye across from the others. Again I was able to cut out a red line around it.

The composition is becoming more unified and balanced. The final addition of line by means of long running stitch with embroidery floss, adds a decorative stitched line. The finished piece offers the viewer a unified integration of the original fragment that concentrates on line as an element of art.

 
A WORD ABOUT UNITY One of the joys of creating comes from the “dialogue” that begins to occur between you and your art. Without some initial shapes, colors and arrangement, however temporary such a dialogue cannot take place. We need something visual and complete upon which to bounce our next idea. Strive to maintain integrity in your work at all stages. By that I mean you should be able to appreciate a unified image at all stages of development. The process of creating a successful composition involves a kind of stream of consciousness thinking that is stimulated by what is already present in the work in progress. You can analyze the fragment for instance, and notice the direction of the lines. This will give you a clue to where they will go and how they will engage the rectangle. “ What if I make this diagonal into a more lyrical wavy line? What if I change the colour of the line where it meets the first one?”. And so on. Then of course, you must actually try your idea and see if it will work! So LISTEN to your work and act on what it is telling you.

New Klimty work

Talk about shameless self promotion. I haven't posted on my blog in ages, but now that I want to "show off" my SLEEPING BEAUTY finished art, I come here to blow my horn.  I say that because I REALLY like how this one developed!  I have been gleaning my rather pitiful stash in the last months. If it seems ugly to me, I have over dyed it  . That in itself is a small excitement because you never know how it will turn out.  Now I am a BIT more selective knowing that if I over dye something in its complimentary color , it may very well become exotic and mysterious as a result. Admittedly a few have become "mud" but even then, I have over dyed the over dye with some success.   It is reassuring to be the kind of person I am....sort of cavalier about the ultimate results.  I am NEVER disappointed that way! HaHa.

However in ALL my work, I have big problems with the finishing touches. I know HOW to block, square and bind my work. I'm just not very good at it!  Especially squaring up. And I even have a cross hair laser level to be as accurate as I can.  So this latest one has a slight wonk in the top....but better than usual. Maybe 3 out of 5 on the binding!

 I AM a bit worried/guilty about using Klimt's charming female face so blatantly. It is slightly altered in shape but more or less a direct transfer via the computer of the sleeping face. And me so vocal about others who "copy" other artists' compositions and colors.  I would welcome any comments and opinions about this as a matter of fact.

Here is they are....somewhat elderly couple smooching on the couch.

Judith Scott with her work