Table Runner Project
Visiting The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, I came across a Japanese painted screen known as “Tagasode." The painting, dating from the 17th century, is beautifully patterned clothing hung over a rack. In classical love poetry the phrase Tagasode (translated as “Whose Sleeves?”) refers to a woman, now absent, whose beautiful robes evoke memories of their owner, inviting the viewer to speculate on the possible owner of the clothing. I had been collecting clothing with origins from other cultures for years. Found in thrift stores, the articles of clothing that caught my eye had metallic thread, embroidery, hand printing and they were silk or linen. I embarked on this project using pieces from my collection. Each quilt is inspired by one clothing item, such as one tunic or a sari. I combine the textiles from that piece with materials from my own fabric stash. Each quilt represents the person who owned that piece. She has probably left her home by choice (such as green card holders and other immigrants) or has been displaced from her home by war, famine and other drastic circumstances. The quilts have become places where I celebrate the beauty of that person and their culture. I will never know who owned this clothing. I can only imagine where she originated, how she came here and why these items were discarded. As an artist I can create a physical object that is a representation of a relationship with her: each one is made up of pieces of both of our lives. Each quilt is a covering for a table where we will sit together to tell our stories, friend to friend.
