Work-in-Progress: Jeanne Bieri
Throughout my life the women in my family have worked in textile. This began with my grandmother who held onto fabric with the idea that it could be mended. This philosophy coincided with my Great Aunt’s quilts; quilts I admired for their simplicity. As I was stretching canvas some years later, I realized I could use sewing to restructure form. I began to collect quilts and army blankets and was inspired to mend them, in that process their stories and mine became one. My works are deeply personal and in mending them their creators are honored. The layering of quilts with army blankets represents the duality of their purpose, that is both necessity and comfort. By hand stitching every piece I have found the process to be natural, even meditative. Influenced by Muslim Clerical garments, the chain stitch allows for a flexible workflow. This process caters to each fabric’s unique history. This practice grants the work an environment that encourages the audience to tap into their own memories.
I mend the quilts and army blankets I collect. This honors their stories and restructures their form. My works are deeply personal and in mending them their creators are honored. The layering of quilts with army blankets represents the duality of their purpose, necessity and comfort. By hand stitching every piece I have found the process to be meditative. Influenced by Muslim Clerical garments, the chain stitch allows for a flexible workflow and caters to each fabric’s unique history. This practice grants the work an environment that encourages the audience to tap into their own memories.
In response to social isolation guidelines, Kresge Arts in Detroit asked Kresge Artist Fellows and Gilda Award recipients to give us a glimpse into their current and recent projects. Participating artists received stipends of $150, a quick response pivot of resources that could be implemented by the program as an immediate - albeit small level - of support to Detroit area artists.