Remember when we couldn’t go out for fear of being killed by a deadly virus? Remember wondering if there was going to be a future and if life would go back to normal? Remember feeling like your dog was saving you from loneliness? Remember meeting neighbours in the alleyway, bringing chairs and hot drinks out to sit and talk in the brisk air?
This body of work is a record of how I spent my time when those memories were formed. It consists of stitched and printed textiles that have been made in the last four years. Together, these works share recurring symbols which are suggestive of narrative.
The coat, for example, is both an actual object and a symbol. It says something about the maker, the wearer, and the viewer—it can reflect character, say who we are or who we want to be. It is a poster, a membership badge, a greeting, a private space. A coat offers protection from the elements, and is what we wear to escape, set off on an adventure or start new beginnings. An invitation to take off your coat suggests belonging, you are no longer a stranger. When the maker or wearer has passed away, their coats hold their memory. They affirm our human connections, giving us warmth and security in the face of uncertainty.
Sewing this work has given me comfort, purpose, learning, distraction, wonder, satisfaction, and connection. They are stories told to sooth an anxious mind.
Along the way I made a sketchbook called Coat Tales for the Brooklyn Art Library Sketchbook Project that contains 9 short stories and a poem that I wrote and illustrated with Linocuts and drawing. Here is a YouTube video of me reading the stories while I turn the pages. https://youtu.be/p9SEQDUIAeY
I made various linocut and etching prints on paper. These remind in the studies drawer.
Quilted wall pieces.
These pieces are all stitched and printed on commercial felt. The first row of pieces are twice as big as those in the other rows.
This work is stitched and printed shibori dyed cloth.
These small pieces have sold.
S L Norquay 