Lenni Morkel-Kingsbury:visual artist
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Needling pulling thread : magic, forgiveness and repair

3/25/2018

 
Picture
At the moment , everything on my work bench in the studio, requires stitching and sewing. There's a mountain of it....of my own making.  It's unusual for me to have work on the go that is, for the most part, about stitching. I usually have a few things on the go,  that are about fire , hammer and anvils too...but...here I am surrounded by fabric, thread, needles and fibre.

Hand stitching, sewing , constructing fabric from fibre is a meandering , slow process. It's a Slow Movement activity, that demands you pay attention to the moment, focus on  the task but also take some time to take in the scenery , to breathe, find the rhythm of the process , and steadily , stitch by stitch  climb the mountain.

Today I started out a feeling a little frustrated because I still can't see what the work I am making might be in it's entirety.  Sometimes,  I find  that this the hardest part of my art making process, because it's usually the point  that I let all those shit things creep into the mix:  Self doubt; doubt in my work/skill; doubt in the process...-blah, blah, blah....urghhh!

I've reflected before on the process of stitching and sewing in my art practice- my mum's influence on those skills, my love of fabrics and fibre, and of the process of stitching as healing and reinforcement of self. ( See stitching-around-the-edge-of-my-soul.html)

You might already know that I have a first- love -and- forever, artist -crush on Louise Borgeois. Much of Lousie Borgeois ' work is autobiographical and sewing and fabric played an important part in her art practice.

Louise Borgeouis reflecting on needles and sewing and stitching in her artwork recalled:


"When I was growing up, all the women in my house were using needles. I've always had a fascination with the needle, the magic power of the needle. The needle is used to repair damage. It's a claim to forgiveness. It is never aggressive, it's not a pin."

Louise Bourgeois
Picture
Ain't that the truth? It is for me. How quickly the process of stitching and sewing - needle pulling thread works its magic. How quickly, once I pick up the needle and thread and stitch, I forgive myself for not knowing, for doubt and meander on regardless, gently moving forward stitch by stitch.


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    About this blog

    many roads...                           ...on the journey words follow me,                              push me forward,                  and sometimes, overtake me.

    This is my attempt to map them, And navigate my way through meaning.
    Lenni M-K

    This blog is about my creative process, ideas and inspiration for new work, projects that I am working on, cool things that other artists are doing, ideas about memory and identity that I am trying to make sense of. Stop by to share the creative journey and say hi! 

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All text and images © 2020 Lenni Morkel-Kingsbury
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Usage or reproduction without written consent is prohibited. For permission to use please contact the artist.
  • Home
  • About Lenni
    • Make, narrate (Lenni's CV)
  • Blog: navigating meaning
  • Portfolio
    • Narrative adornment and objects gallery >
      • Flowers for Oberon
      • Words don't come easy
      • Alluring series
      • Daisy chain
      • Inner librarian
      • My precious ( I remember) 2014
      • Archives: Narrative jewellery >
        • Cat and me series
        • Save/delete
        • I heart Brunswick Arts
        • Bear with me...
        • Life is a hammer and a forge
        • Trees, life and flowers etc
        • Things that are bugging me...
    • Stitches >
      • Meditations on Myrtle Grace ...
      • A heart so big
      • Lines of my time
      • All we have are our emojis
      • Archives: Stitching things >
        • Stitch-a-hug-month >
          • Stitch-a-hug BLOG
    • Sculpture and installations gallery
    • Illustrations/images gallery >
      • Illustrations for education and online learning