“Stewart Kelly’s work is one that revolves around the observation of the human form. He produces work that gives insight as to who we really are as an organic entity, stripping away the layers of pretence. These are not portraits of obvious personality, there are no faces, no identifiable poses, no costumes, no props.”
– John Hopper (Inspirational 8)
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| Studying Kantha Embroidery, West Bengal, 2019. |
My current practice lies at the intersection of art, health and wellbeing. Through practice-based research, I am interested in reflecting on how the ritual of hand stitching can document emotional experiences.
During 2019, I travelled to West Bengal and visited artists, often in remote villages, working in their studios. My interest was in researching Indian textiles, specifically Kantha embroidery, which is synonymous with this region.
Experiencing the sights, sounds, colours and people of India was a revelation in many ways. Through speaking to artisans, I became increasingly aware how tradition and beliefs are integral to the nation’s cultural identity.
West Bengal
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| Map of West Bengal, India. |
West Bengal is a state in the eastern region of India along the Bay of Bengal. With over 91 million inhabitants, it is the fourth-most populous state and the fourteenth-largest state by area in India.
Part of the Bengal region of the Indian subcontinent, it borders Bangladesh in the east, Nepal and Bhutan in the north. It also borders the Indian states of Odisha, Jharkhand, Bihar, Sikkim and Assam.
The state capital is Kolkata, the third-largest metropolis, and seventh largest city by population in India.
Kantha Embroidery
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Kantha
Embroidery, Kolkata, 2019. |
In Sanskrit, the word 'kontha' means rags. Kantha is the most popular form of embroidery in West Bengal, and has been around for more than 500 years. Initially, Kantha was used on cotton or silk, however, it is now used on other fabrics as well like Georgette, crepe and chiffon.
Originally made from old, recycled fabrics, the traditional kantha cloth is an example of flat, or un-wadded quilting, worked on multiple layers of fabric. Bangladeshi or Bengali kantha cloths were made by women for use in their own homes as bedcovers, mats and all-purpose wrappers.
The stitching consists of embroidered patterns, ranging from simple floral motifs to elaborate scenes, combined with running-stitch quilting in a colour matching the background fabric.
Portraits without Faces
Although there is a wealth of traditional textiles produced in India, my thoughts focused on the lives of the artists. Many of whom work long hours, tirelessly investing their skills, for little financial reward.
On my return from India, I revisited drawings I had created prior to my trip, consisting of multiple figure studies. I began to embellish the surface, emulating labour and repetition through intensive periods of stitching.
Baptism of Fire and Wake Up
The first two pieces I created for this project were called 'Baptism of Fire and Wake Up'
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Baptism of Fire, Ink & Machine Embroidery on Paper, 80 X 60cm, 2020. |
However, through intensive periods of stitching, the pieces began to transform dramatically.
I frequently stitched on the reverse side of the work, unaware of the image evolving on the front. The image almost became irrelevant, and the process of repetitive stitching, became the focus of the work.
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Baptism of Fire (Detail), Ink & Machine Embroidery on Paper, 80 X 60cm, 2020. |
As the pieces evolved, the paper began to break away in places, caused by the perforations made by the machine needle. At this point it was necessary to add additional support to the work in order to progress.
This process of working became an interesting metaphor in the work, especially as my practice is informed by themes surrounding the human condition.
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Wake Up, Ink & Machine Embroidery on Paper, 80cm X 60cm, 2020. |
Through the process of creating the work, the work became fragile and began to degenerate.
Out of the Blue and Spectrum
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Out of the Blue (Detail), Hand & Machine Embroidery on Digital Print 65 X 50cm, 2020. |
The following two pieces in this series were called 'Out of the Blue and Spectrum'. These pieces also evolved in several stages over many months.
Initially, I photographed a series of drawings before digitally manipulating the images to add colour and definition. Following this, I collaborated with the Centre for Advanced Textiles at Glasgow School of Art in order to digitally print the images on to cloth.
In the studio, I began to hand and machine embroider onto the surface of the printed cloth. However, these pieces began to evolve in a different way to the earlier works on paper. Through intensive periods of stitching, the cloth began to gather and sculpt in unpredictable ways. Through this process of working, the pieces were transformed, and formed a new identity.
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Out of the Blue (Detail), Hand & Machine Embroidery on Digital Print, 65 X 50cm, 2020.
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My creative process can vary depending on a specific project, however, many of my pieces evolve over a period of time. I find this approach enables me to explore the full potential of working in a particular way.
I frequently work on more than one piece of work at any one time. I find this process of working valuable in being able to reflect and assess the progression of a particular project. I normally work on one piece for a while, put it away, try to forget about it, and start to work on a different piece.
After a period of time, I will return to the first piece, and for a short time, I can be the viewer of my own work. I can assess what is going well, and what is not working. At that point I am often able to make bold decisions about how to move the piece forward.
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Spectrum, Hand & Machine Embroidery on Digital Print, 65 X 50cm, 2020. |
Slow Motion and Daydreamer
The final two pieces in this series were called 'Slow Motion and Daydreamer'.
The basis of these pieces were drawings digitally printed on to cloth. However, hand stitching and the inclusion of kantha embroidery is more predominant in these pieces.
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Slow Motion, Hand & Machine Embroidery on Digital Print, 75 X 55cm, 2020. |
On reflection, I began to consider how the drawn line is immediate, whilst stitching is slower and more reflective. Through a complex network of drawn gestures and stitched lines, I attempted to establish order amongst the chaotic background of lines and colours.
What lies beneath the surface? How can hand embroidery enable communication between the conscious and subconscious, and serve as a subliminal connection to the world? In addition, how can the hand drawn qualities of stitching, create a narrative to intertwine the fabric of this inner and outer connection?
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Slow
Motion (Detail), Hand & Machine Embroidery on Digital Print, 75 X 55cm,
2020. |
I also considered how my practice seeks to explore reasons for using stitch to express male identity, and how embodied textile practice encourages well-being in men. The significance of stitch as a feminist-based practice is well documented. However, the use of stitch as a reparative tool, and craft as a method of embodied textile practice for men, has rarely been assessed.
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Daydreamer, Hand & Machine Embroidery on Digital Print, 75 X 55cm, 2020. |
How can engaging with material processes report, reflect and discover the spiritual act of stitching through contemplation, meditation, resilience, transition, physical and emotional healing? In addition, how does the intimacy of repetitive touch leave a trace of the artist’s presence?
Craft is immortalised by the hands, and draws an association with the processes it is engaged with. The artist initiates a dialogue with the material, and the act of the hand. However, is there a relationship between craftsmanship and sensitivity in a conversation of the hands?
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Daydreamer,(detail) Hand & Machine Embroidery on Digital Print, 75 X 55cm, 2020. |
Conclusion
Through the development of this project, I reflected on how the ritual of hand stitching can document emotional experiences. The intimacy of the medium itself, with the suggestion of repetitive touch, lends a poignancy to bodily associations, providing an intimate and ambiguous trace of the artist’s presence.
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Out of the Blue (Detail), Hand & Machine Embroidery on Digital Print 65 X 50cm, 2020. |
Making hand stitched textiles can be therapeutic, a crucial tool for reflection and developing self-awareness. Working on slow, reflective projects has allowed a better understanding of the connection between the self and my desire to make art.
The work marks time, and chronicles emotional changes through the physical and reflective act of stitch. In addition, the work aims to convey the concept of transformation in life, the importance of reflection, and the exploration of creativity as part of artistic identity.
Links
www.stewartkellyartist.com
www.axisweb.org/p/stewartkelly
www.bankley.org.uk/artist-stewart-kelly
www.facebook.com/stewartkellyartist
www.twitter.com/SKellyArtist
www.instagram.com/stewartkellyartist
www.linkedin.com/in/stewartkellyartist
www.pinterest.com/stewartkellyartist
Fascinating article Stewart. The realisation that the work is actually making the structure more fragile and the consequential repair and reinforcement is fascinating.
ReplyDeleteThank you for taking the time to read and comment on the article Nigel. It has certainly become a lively discussion! Indeed, it was interesting to reflect on the creative process throughout the development of this project, the constant cycle of creation and degeneration. Stewart.
DeleteI read Stewart Kelly's article & it was neither inspiring nor very wondrous to look at. It was his personal journey. It is imp to him. I dnt see art, i see a senseless repetitive process that comes across as a pastel or crayon stick rubbed on rough paper.... His kantha or understanding of the craft is completely not what it has meant to us in Bengal or how it was practiced or how it expressed emotion. Maybe i m not an artist to comment on this. I may not be in the right echelons to understand this. But if you want to use any craft just for the heck of it & do your own interpretations why add so much story to it that it comes across as confused. If he wants to get under the skin of what humans wear as a facade or multiple facade he might think of biology & even deeper at the level of cells....beyond that it disintegrates physically. His abstract art form could have been easily achieved without going into such elaborate process which ends up looking quite uninspiring.
ReplyDeleteHi Sunetra, I can see a rather emotional response to Stewart’s use of Kantha. First off, he says very precisely that the process of assimilation into his work, was not just gradual but unusual. We cannot own Kantha. We are free to use it as we choose. As you know, I too use Kantha (running stitch) in my own ways.
DeleteI think the complex process that Stewart employs in his stitching on paper, making portraits without faces, is where we must explore what goes on underneath the layers of stitch. Of how the process of puncturing the surface creates marks evocative of the relationship that the artist makes with the people he portrays. In this case it deals mostly with the anonymity of the artisans. And the confusion you deride could very well be the dilemma of an artist who signs his work, whose worked with and inspired by artists who don’t. This is not a simple dialogue. It’s one we haven’t resolved in our lives and visualising such a dilemma requires courage.
Sunetra - Thank you for taking the time to read the article and leaving your candid comments below. I am curious that although you are willing to voice your opinions regarding my practice at length, albeit based on your assumed knowledge, you have chosen not to address me directly at any point. However, for the purpose of this evolving discussion, and in response to your observations, I am compelled to take the opportunity to clarify my position as an artist and reaffirm the intention of the project illustrated in the article.
DeleteFor over twenty years I have practiced as a studio-based textile artist, completing both figurative and abstract artworks for exhibitions around the world. The images featured in the article represent a small selection of pieces from an extensive and varied portfolio of work. I am acutely aware of my role as an artist practicing in a diverse multi-cultural society and my motivation to communicate (or not) with an audience.
I am not an activist and I do not make political statements through my work however, I do experience genuine emotions in response to people, situations and my place in the world. Travelling to India was a revelation in so many ways including, meeting the people, and experiencing the different cultural traditions. My journey was primarily motivated by an interest in researching the importance of Kantha embroidery, understanding its cultural significance and observing how the craft is practiced in West Bengal.
During my visit, I met several groups of women working on a variety of kantha embroidery projects. Although the women were very welcoming, when I sat on the floor amongst them to participate in the craft, there were some embarrassed smiles, and I recall feeling a sense of difference in this environment. Therefore, my presence in this space could be viewed as subversive before I had made a single stitch!
As I sat and observed, I became fascinated watching the women working and interacting. In these environments, there is something empathic between women where co-dependencies form. As you have highlighted, the tradition of this craft is part of a lineage that has been passed down through mothers and grandmothers over generations.
My relationship with textiles is very different, I am not part of a chain or inherited any traditional forms of embroidery from my ancestors. It would seem insincere to use traditional kantha embroidery motifs in my work, as my practice is not derived from this legacy. Therefore, I am faced with the dilemma, as a contemporary artist how do I navigate my way forward in this space, acknowledging the traditional but making a sensitive and relevant statement. Considering, all the various incarnations of kantha embroidery, I believe it would be impossible to define the craft as a single entity, and my appropriation is justified in the context of my own work.
As artists migrate around the world, their ideas and traditions travel with them. They re-emerge, evolve and reform in new spaces, creating new meaning becoming enriched with new narratives. Contemporary textile artists frequently adopt traditional ways of working, to address many different themes from the personal to the political. They acknowledge the meaning and historical significance of traditional crafts, but recognise the potential to speak to a different audience.
I believe the ‘language of stitch’ is universal, and should be celebrated in all its forms. In a contemporary context, it transcends boundaries, traditions, embracing diversity and inclusivity regardless of gender, class, or ethnicity. The re-interpretation of traditional craft forms should not be viewed as shallow or unsympathetic, but pays respectful homage to the integrity of generations of underrepresented artisans.
Textile language is unique. It is transmitted through the cloth and received back through the body. For me, hand stitch is not just a craft, it is a completely immersive experience. It is a place of personal expression and an opportunity to conduct a conversation where words alone seem inadequate or misleading. Working within a climate where boundaries, tensions and complexities exist, the sanctuary of my practice is a catalyst for reflection, a place to reclaim myself, and provides a voice which I am unable to express in other areas of my life.
DeleteAll the pieces illustrated in the article were completed during the lockdown of 2020, and the metaphor of repetition and endurance expressed through the accumulation of stitching seemed to gain a greater significance. The images in their original form were more figurative, however, through the process of continuous stitching, the images became buried in the surface, and the physical act of stitching became the focus of the work.
Through the development of this project, I became interested in the creative process as a journey. As the pieces evolved, I became less interested in completing a series of ‘images’, rather to conclude with a series of works which chronicle the thoughts and processes experienced over a period of time. For me, this approach was a different way of working and thinking. To embroider an image of a carefully crafted figure would communicate a very different message, with limited potential for a dialogue between the work and the viewer.
The works on paper in their conception started with a single line. Through subjecting the pieces to a myriad of layers of stitching the works began to disintegrate, a poignant metaphor. I considered why do we immortalise artworks, place them in frames, behind glass as though they should last forever? Should they be allowed to degenerate like any other life cycle? Can my thoughts be distilled back to a single line, through a continuous cycle of creation and degeneration?
The use of the different “everything but the kitchen sink’’ conflicting and sometimes incongruous media creates a tension in the work. There is disharmony within the chaos - the hand stitching was a way of unifying and embedding the different layers. The ambiguity of the imagery engages the viewer, to look closer, to question and interpret. I do not endeavour to provide answers or conclusions within my work, rather to ask more questions, and invite the viewer to make sense of the imagery based on their own multi-layered experiences. In the words Georges Flaubert “There is no truth. There is only perception”.
Initially, I was rather perplexed by the vehemence of your comments, and wondered why my work should provoke such a passionate response from you. As far as I am aware we have not previously corresponded or have any professional associations. I would question your motivation for attacking me in such a public way when, by your own admission, you are neither suitably informed or qualified to do so. However, I see the potential in this situation and would welcome the opportunity to establish a platform where artists can discuss the implications of adopting traditional forms of stitch in contemporary contexts.
Stewart.
Thank you Stewart for this thoughtful, thought provoking and erudite response.
DeleteTo have you explain the dilemmas, seems a bit of a needless task, since it’s so evident from the work itself - the kind of reflection and contemplation that has gone into each piece is self-evident. But, it’s also good to read and reaffirm for myself that my understanding was in consonance with your visual expression.
Textiles as art, has become a unique language. There’s colour, texture, technique and a quality that no other media evokes. It’s subtle language because the process itself mulls through so much,absorbs so much of the ‘angst’ etc. It requires an investment to make - in terms of time, persistence, and belief, as much as it requires much of the same from the viewer.
The cultural boundaries that are being delineated here, have given rise to much thought.
In my understanding of things through a cursory study of history, tradition is not static. It’s always been a shifting paradigm, adapted by each generation. Learning from others is not the purview of art and crafts alone. It is the very nature of living.
However, in a world where boundaries have virtually dissolved with the Internet, it’s possible that identities are threatened and this brings in localization and ownership of things like craft and stitches, which can ever be claimed as such.
I have enjoyed the discussion and the opportunity to hear all the voices on this forum, but I have also realised that there is a much deeper discussion that needs to be initiated among practitioners across nations and I hope we can do this in a more formal space. I will be writing to you about this soon.
In the meanwhile, I’d like to thank you for sharing your work, and participating in this discussion with such humility and grace.
Best wishes
Gopika
Dear Netro, oh dear. I am sorry you haven't enjoyed Stewart's work. Each to their own. I think there is a distinction between cultural appropriation if he had just copied those techniques and cultural appreciation, where he has reflected what it means to him. What I take from the work is that the elaborate process, that you find uninspiring, is the work and appreciated. Only someone who sews can begin to understand the meditative and contemplative nature of Stitch process. His response may remind you of biology and you therefore find the visual firm lacking, but surely that is like criticising a flame for not being a candle.
ReplyDeleteHe was obviously asked to expand on the work, hence the length of the article. If you only want to look at a picture then why invest the time reading and writing such a destructive response? Though as I say. Each to their own.
Thank you Nigel for being part of this discussion. I’ve responded to Netro (Sunetra) at length. Yes, she has a strong opinion and it can be read as destructive but a space like this is open to all sorts of view points. I like it to be. Our world has got so bogged down in politeness that we no longer discuss elements we don’t like.
DeleteI don’t necessarily agree with Sunetra, but her voicing these views gives me reason as scope to disagree with her and posit my point of view.
It’s great that you’re here in the conversation. Thank you
Very intriguing! I see kantha stitching as a plain running stitch technique, similar to boro or shashiko. Using that stitch in different ways and on nontraditional surfaces is exploring the possibilities. Moving away from the traditional craft is what we try to do as contemporary artists. There are several contemporary textile artists in the Western world who use kantha stitching in fascinating ways and Stewart's is a very unique direction of his own. Sometimes I feel since they haven't been so much exposed to our kanthas they are able to use the stitching in so many beautiful ways. I would love to see Stewart's work in person some day because I see many layers, textures which pictures don't do justice. Love the ambiguous figures and drawings.
ReplyDeleteHis use of kantha stitching reminds me of my exploration of jamdani weaving in contemporary textile art. I can’t and don’t really want to recreate what our skilled weavers do but I am only using the technique. Looking forward to Stewart’s onward journey.
I agree with you Boisali., As creative people we do many things with conventional stitches and make them our own. Whatever the tradition, it cannot really remain with the confined walls of the past. In effect, tradition itself is an amalgam of cross cultural influences and the Bengalis didn’t invent Kantha as a stitch. It’s the narrative and their use of recycled materials that came from their imagination but there are myriad ways of using the running stitch in different parts of the world. I don’t understand Sunetra’s rather vehement stance on this.
DeleteGopika, thank you. I do agree that blogs are open forums where all kinds of viewpoints are welcome but I am quite perplexed by this entire discussion. Speaking for myself, thanks to the internet and social media, every single day I am astounded by the talents out there. I am sometimes overwhelmed more than inspired. I try to take it all with an open mind. Borrowing from traditions and making some elements our own and exploring them in a creative way is very healthy I feel. I am not even sure that Stewart has claimed that he has reached the pinnacle of his journey. It's his ongoing journey and I am looking forward to seeing where he will be going with them.
DeleteI totally agree with you. Actually as I said before, there is s a lot more in Stewart's work than we are not seeing here I think. The layers fascinate me too and wish I could see them in person.
...... there is a lot more in Stewart's work that we are not seeing here I think.....
DeleteBoisali, I agree that borrowing from traditions and making them our own is healthy. In fact, very little of what we consider Indian may very well be something that originated here. Especially when history claims that China is where embroidery itself may have originated. It’s hard to establish this as fact. But it goes a long way to suggest that everything is borrowed/learned and made unique in its own way. Many travellers along the Silk routes spent months and years in countries along the route to learn techniques that intrigued them.
DeleteBut that aside, I too see a lot more in Stewart’s work than blog images permit.
I particularly find the simplicity of the stitch he uses, to layer this and create such a complex narrative. One that makes me want to look again and again and imagine faces, imagine dilemmas and more.
Thank you for stopping by and continuing this thread
Correction. May very well be something that DID NOT originate here.
DeleteAn artist might imagine and express whatever he or she wishes. Every art form is a personal journey. But when you put it out in public domain you are inviting an audience to engage with you. Most of the article is about Kantha & then about how he used it in his art besides machine stitching. The process might be imp to him and might be interesting to read but i m looking at the end result & it seems quite a let down. If he continues the process perhaps he might reach a point where it becomes fabulous but at the moment with all due respect it looks quite unformed & not there. Keep working Stewart, you may have a long way to go. And i say all this because i do kantha myself & i know the intricacies & structure & know how. Kantha is running stitch which is the simplest of all embroidery stitches. Kantha embroidery & nakshi kantha are two different things. And if my reading is right Stewart was inspired by Nakshi kantha. All the best for his journey. I hope he keeps evolving because in art if you think you have reached the pinnacle you are finished as an artist.
ReplyDeleteI really don’t understand your stance here Sunetra. Art is objective. If you don’t relate to the visual element, that’s a prerogative. But the process is well delineated and I find there is no appropriation of Kantha but a simple acknowledgement of having studied the practice. Stewart uses layers, as does Kantha, e is using the basic Kantha running stitch. (Actually Kantha has appropriated many other stitches into their repertoire - which is an amalgam that you seem to be protesting against.
DeleteI’m familiar with your own embroidery using elements of Kantha. You’re embroidery is very skilful but many of your motifs and ideas are appropriated from other parts of the world.
And whether or not it’s Nakshi Kantha from Bangladesh or Kantha of Bengal - in the creative oeuvre of Stewart’s work, it’s just semantics.
If the end result is a let down, one has to admit that blog images don’t do justice. I for one, find the layering fantastic. Stewart manages to work with paper, hand and machine stitch and imaginatively deals with the very dilemmas that you have voiced. Perhaps one needs to penetrate the layers with a bit of imagination, but above all, self knowing.
I have to thank you Sunetra for kicking off this discussion. It’s good to hear varied voices and learn from what others have to say.
Dear Gopika, pure Nakshi kantha is actually only running stitch, less skillful people use other stitches. As for me i mention when i use motifs from other crafts where it is from, the interpretations are wholly mine.
ReplyDeleteI havent said anything about kantha being appropriated bcz craft should not be divided or tagged by borders or regions. In the end we are all working towards a visual that may or maynot be visually pleasing. I just stated my opinion as to the end result in which everything has been thrown in except the kitchen sink & it still looks like it is much ado about much less. What he has arrived at could have been achieved quite simply.
I commented bcz you asked for it. Usually i dnt comment without being asked to. Besides who can judge art esp not me. I m just an artisan who dabbles in craft & tries to find a line of beauty bcz we have too much to contend with in life otherwise. Art for me is not about pulling out my intestines & frying my brain 😀. If i at all have to, even angst can be beautiful.
So what your vehemence about is just that you think he could have said what he did with greater simplicity?
DeleteFrom that I gather that you are intimately familiar with what the artist is trying to say?
Simplicity is an art. Even the most complex thoughts can be said with a simple line. Remember your workshops?
DeleteEvolving is about filtering out all the confusion & jargon that is a part of our real life to arrive at something that has crystallized into exactly what one wants to say.
As I said Stewart who might be much senior & much known has put out something thats probably still forming. If he continues, he will get where he wants to go very simply. Its interesting to know about the process when its complete & then we can see the struggle & see how one arrived at the final & magical piece.
I m not keen about the surgical details at this point. If the patient does well, i ll applaud the doctor & learn how he did it. 😀
I'm familiar with Stewart's art and following him on twitter so I see it quite often Totally not my cuppa but I'm interested in many artists not necesarry the ones that are "my cuppa". And I kinda understand what Netro is saying because my thoughts are very close to it. But these are just my thoughts and I'm not judgeing any artist for doing things differently from what I like or admire. It is just interesting to see different approach.
ReplyDeleteAs for the skills and techniques we learn on our journeys and use (or not) in our own art - it would be odd if I use Kantha like Bengal artists do it. I come from different cultural and historic background with different handstitching traditions. But when I learn about other traditions it is inevitable that I implement them into my own skills. They add to my personal stitching vocabulary and I'm happy to use them when they come handy to my own story.
My art starts from totally different point than Stewart's - I'm not searching through my inner self. I always have a thought, emotion, a feeling first and than I'm looking for a way to say it with fabric and stitches. Of course the viewer probably can see something about me in my works but it is a side effect.
Yes Bozena, I am familiar with your work too. It doesn’t explore quite the conundrums that Stewart aspires towards. And, therefore may not be your ‘cups’.
DeleteAnd, it’s good to understand that you would also use Kantha or any stitch from any part of the world in your own way. It’s what I would expect. It is also what I do. We can never do it quite like anyone else. That’s the beauty of stitch.
Thank you so much for stopping by and adding to this thread here.
I enjoyed Stewarts article and exploration into kantha stitch and his artistic response to it. My practice is also based in this area. Any article like this is really important in raising the profile of kantha as an art form. Although stitch is mainly practised by women it is not owned by anyone and I welcome all exploration of all stitch especially the study of its restorative aspects. I agree whole heartedly with his affirmation of the reparative and restorative power of stitch and it makes me personally sad when I read unecessarily negative responses. As an artist I never ask anyone if they 'like' my work...I don't care....I do what I do cos I love it and it makes me feel good and makes me be me ....liking is subjective...and I don't think Stewart is asking anyone to 'like' or not 'like' his work. However - I believe if you create a strong response to work.....positive or negative then job done!! You are creating a debate and opening up a forum for discussion. We, as artists and artisans are interested in responses to the way we work - especially if it can help us as build and strengthen our practice. In a world dominated by negative patriarchy I think we should be pulling together and celebrating differences and learning from them. Constructive debate is always useful let's not do negativity. I for one will continue to look at Stewart's work and will use as a forum in a positive way to inform my own practice and research into stitch. I will also be interested at looking at the work of others who have responded.
ReplyDeleteHi Helen, good to meet you here. I’m a textile artist too and you can find my work in my website which is mentioned on this blog. On Instagram as gopika.nath and from there hopefully more connections will be made.
DeleteI would love to see your work too. And, I’m wholly in agreement that any strong response is a good one. And the debate it’s started here has really made me go deep into my own study of stitch - I’ve worked with Kantha as the basic running stitch of yore. I love it for it’s circular dimension and helps me unravel my mind.
As a friend recently wrote about how acupuncture made her consider piercing the paper to evoke the reparative process, Stewart’s work is also similar. Puncture can be both wounding and reparative.
I have long talked about the healing properties of art making especially any work with textiles which is meditative and allows the mind to unravel.
You can find Sunetra’s work as netro 74 on Instagram and likewise Bozena is bozena_wajtaszek
Thank you for stopping by and adding to this vibrant discussion. We must make room fir all kind of differences to be heard.
I think all artists employ techniques - and a technique is fundamentally a passport. It allows us to access worlds which otherwise can be found only visually. Practicing a craft - can be both meaningful and meaningless. What about those commercially produced chikan embroidered kurtas? I personally find Stewart Kelly's work refreshing and very evidently far from doing it for 'the heck'. If Netro's arguments are upheld, then the boundaries between insiders and outsiders will be impenetrable. I think we have enough to our minds and bodies being patrolled, and art certainly need to be subjected to that.
ReplyDeleteI think you may have touched the ‘nerve’ as it were regarding insiders and outsiders. Frankly all of us who come from art and design institutions and work with what is now described as ‘traditional’ crafts, are outsiders, where we are Indian nationals or not.
DeleteI have often found that artists who didn’t have a textile background used stitch with far greater freedom, than those of us who get involved with the process. It had taken me decades to break out of perfecting the technique and focusing on getting what I want to say out there. It’s still a challenge, but one I’m aware of and therefore both indulge and restrain myself. Making textiles is fascinating. Doing perfect embroidery is an art. But it is not ‘art’ in the sense we now consider textiles to be.
I admire Stewart’s work precisely because he doesn’t pretend to own a craft, to follow in the stead of craftspeople he has learned from.
It’s very daunting for all of us habituated to city life to go into villages and remote areas where crafts are being practiced and not come away untouched. I imagine Stewart was deeply move by the contrasts between his life as a stitcher in the UK and the artisans he met in rural Bengal.
I remember, my own dilemmas when I was asked to work in a craft revival project in Bastar in the early to mid 1990’s. It wasn’t that I hadn’t been to villages of India. I had. But the starkness of Bastar left me dumbfounded. How was I to do a responsible job of reviving their dying art that would not only do that but provide sustenance and more. It took me many visits and six whole months beforeI could designs single item.
I can well imagine how ‘Portraits without Faces’ finds voice through the intense layering of stitches. To me, whether you call it confused or work in progress or give it any label, it is an honest articulation. One that I relate to.
It’s been said that perhaps it’s a process - journey, and maybe he will be able to say it simply later on. Frankly, is there a need to simplify everything in Twitter feed type of sound bytes? If something is intensely felt; if there are layers and layers of thoughts; wounds or anything that a human being chooses to express visually as such, that is his prerogative.
But, having said all that, I’ve been intrigued by Sunetra’s commentary. I think some clarity on her part as to why she actually feels the way she does,if interrogated, would be learning for us all.
This issue of art versus craft becomes more and more relevant as textile making is no longer relegated to functionality and has becomes almost as philosophical a tool as has been articulated in Vedic times.
Thanks for stopping byPriya. Thanks for the contribution to this evolving conversation.
Gopika, thank you for your lovely articulate responses to each one of us. My thoughts exactly but I have to admit I am not able to put into words like you so beautifully. I have been following Stewart for a while and have always admired his work. We all have different paths, different journeys and isn't that the beauty of it all? I am quite taken aback by the negative feedback from Sunetra and has made me curious too because so far I don't see anyone responding in that fashion.
DeleteHi again Boisali, I encourage dissidence. The supposedly negative commentary can create room for healthy debate. I find too few people express what they really feel and while Sunetra may have been blunt, it’s important to be able to say you don’t agree. After all we don’t want to be clones. This debate here is one of a kind for my journal and I think it’s given voice to many ideas.
DeleteAs a child, when everyone would say “very nice” I’d want to know why, and likewise if the response was lukewarm. It irked everyone because they didn’t want to invest that much energy, but as an artist it has always been important for me. There’s always something good to find too and a best viewpoint is a considered one, but we live in a different world to Confucius, who was utterly tactful, while being brutal in his commentary.
I’ve been writing in art for about 3 decades now and my critical reviews have not been graciously received. In fact people have chosen to ‘unfriended’ me on social media. Refused to lend images for my lectures/talks. And I don’t think that is healthy.
And Sunetra isn’t quite the lone wolf here. Bozena too voiced similar ideas, albeit in a discretionary tone.
Thanks again for adding your voice to the debate
Since the dialogue has been initiated by craft and Kantha, I remembered an article I had written about the continuing narratives of the running stitch for the V & A blog during the Fabric of India exhibition in 2015
ReplyDeleteAm sharing the link here. It may explain many things and add to the dialogue here.
https://www.vam.ac.uk/blog/fabric-of-india/guest-post-stitch-narratives-continuance-and-evolution-of-running-stitch-embroidery
Thank you Gopika..I shall enjoy looking at your work and also the work of others who have commented. For my Masters in Art I did research into the running stitch as a phenomenological practice steeped in feminist tradition and the links with stitch in the north east of India and in the Northeast of England. It would have been useful to see your articles! I shall enjoy reading! I am hoping to take my research further in the next year or so and now I know about your blog will keep checking in. Helen 🙂
ReplyDelete