Is it Culture, class or Age?

1971 (16 years old) and first major embroidery piece
Donated Transfer, old pillowcase, and whatever embroidery thread I could find.

Well there are some things I am just not getting, maybe it's cultural (British vs American), maybe it is class roots and age?
On a blog about yarnbombing a commentator stated her concern over the "racial overtone" of the name knitta please, but didn't elaborate further. What am I missing?
I can't even hazard a guess on this one???

Another stated yarnbombing carried latent class messages suggesting only those in the leisure classes can afford to spend time and money on knitting and this activity.
Apart from the fact that knitting isn't confined to one class, this view smacks of presumptions and condescension.
What do they think working class or poor people do, huddle around a paraffin heater all night and lament their miserable lives after seeing a bit knitting on a pole, worrying about how other people spend their time or money? Do they think because a person lacking disposable income or is poor suddenly stops having any spare time and desire to do or see things that give comfort and joy.I know when we went through a bout of poverty in the 70's a source of comfort in the evenings (no fancy foods, daily meat, soft drinks, no cars, stereos, computers, telephone, multiple channel colour tv's) was finding scraps to embroider and knit with. A great source of joy was being able to see art for free at the local art museum.
No, I would not have had the money to buy yarn and stick it on a tree, but who says people can't find free/recycle stuff to use for creative endeavors. Rags or Found Plastic shopping bags can be knitted and used for yarnbombing ya know!
Resources may be different, but many people don't stop wanting or trying to do fun creative things in life.

LINKS
Knitting on the Cheap
Recycling Crafts and Projects
Plastic Bag Crafts
Knitting Throughout the World
Timeless Turkish Treasures talks of "Turkish women knit, whether old or young, homemaker or banker "

Back of embroidery
It has been years since I have seen this embroidery and I was shockingly reminded of how important it was back then to have a clean back with no knots. Most of what I have done lately looks like a disaster at the back lol!

Hand Maid

A little play on words for shana since we are talking about hand made being "in" and the feminine aesthetic.

A Birds Eye
I decided to experiment with stitching on the flower. Not sure what to call the stitch as I just made it up, but basically it's weaving with thread.

Turkish Embroidery
In Turkey "textiles of all kinds were so closely connected with the Turkish way of life, embroidery was produced and used at every level of society, from the most exalted to the humblest. Whether made for a sultan or a peasant, it added color and beauty to everything from military campaign tents to the most delicate hand towel. " It seems to have been/and is an activity that men and women were/are involved with, on a national scale including for example " army personnel was also known to be making embroideries."

Oh man, check out this gallery of Ottoman Work.
DROOL!!!!!!


Some of my fave yarnstormers

KNIT THE CITY

More on Getting Established and Gender Issues

Getting Established
I have only been doing art (no art schools or degrees) since I was 40. I have two things going against me as an artist, being a woman, Why do we ignore female artists? and worse still an OLDER woman, Is the artworld ageist? Turner Prize accused of age discrimination.
Oh well! That's another story.
Am I established? I suppose that depends what the definition of being established is. According to this well written article at BmoreARt I am barely a mid level artist rather than an established one. I think blogging these last three years has been a HUGE part of helping in that regard. Luckily I enjoy blogging.

Feminism


Here is why I view some of the commentary about embroidery being a feminist statement as disturbing. It's not about people using art to make a feminist statement but reducing one medium, in this case embroidery, to nothing more than a feminist statement. That not only limits it being seen as an artistic statement, it relegates it to a lowly regarded status (womanly crafts) in the fine art world. The bigger question is why (as shana pointed out) the medium of embroidery is seen as dictating an artists feminism. Men have been doing embroidery for centuries in a professional capacity. What about all the men nowadays who do embroidery and cross stitch?
Perhaps it is an American viewpoint ( I don't know) since the development of embroidery in America has different roots, or just a contemporary view by as a society that is ignorant of it's history and cultural relevance.

Links
Manbroidery
Men who Embroider Flickr Group
Real Men Knit and Sew
Mr.XStitch
Cross Stitch and Men: Crossing the Gender Barrier

You hit the nail on the head Bill.
"You seem unperturbed and explore media as a vehicle for your content."

Again thanks to all for your comments.

So how did dropping the business of art work out

In January 2009 I posted this
The business of being an artist and just being one
No more worries about marketing, planning, promoting, selling.
To let the muse rule

A funny thing happened
I haven't needed to do anything, the work did it for me

Giving up worrying about the business side of art has proved to be a good decision. It's allowed me to blossom creatively in ways I hadn't planned or expected. Contrary to what some might think would happen giving up the business side of art this year has proven otherwise. The response and interest in my work has been fabulous and I want to thank you all for your support and encouragement. I also want to thank all of you who come here, it truly is appreciated.

Meanwhile in the Studio
I am trying to figure out what to do next
I know I want to cut out the mouth and have a mirror behind it
but before I can do that I have to figure out how to mount it.

I do know I want to paint camouflage panel at the top for the embroidery to hang from. Somehow I like the idea of him being trapped between the painted and embroidery camouflage, just as he's trapped in a war zone. There is still some stitchwork that needs to be done. For now though it is stuck on the wall for me to stare at.

I have read several commentaries that suggest contemporary embroidery is possibly a feminist statement. Perhaps for some, but for me NO. Embroidery is just another medium I use to express myself an an artist and has nothing to do with making some gender statement. I don't see men's art/craft being reduced to some gender statement, so in a way I almost feel embroidery is being relegated to a domestic craft/statement instead of being recognized as an artform itself.
Just my humble opinion

The Healing Hand

Gosh all I've done is moan these last few posts, but since this blog is about the creative meanderings of an artists life, then whatever happens, good or bad, affects those creative meanderings.

I like what this author says: "When we make art, we tap into our creativity and into a meditative space, no matter what we are creating. We also ignite healing and peaceful responses in our bodies."

Healing Hand

Work in Progress
Embroidery on tea stained muslin

How Art Heals

One of my absolute favourite moments in comedy

And Just Because It's Funnyimage source: LA Weekly Craft Gone Bad by Gendy Alimurung

Kraftomatic Blog
krazy krafts, nutty notions etc

In between Sleeping

This is all I seem to be doing lately, sleeping the meds off and fighting asthma fatigue. So not much happening lately. I have managed to start this embroidery.


and my daughter and her dear boyfriend helped decorate the christmas tree.

Fave Links
Skull a Day
Mr.Xstitch always highlights the coolest stitchery
Hand Embroidery Network which now has an online Needle Mag
Yarnbombing
WebUrbanist, just always cool stuff on there
Wooster Collective, amazing Graffiti from around the world
Artists Sketchbooks- huge collection
Art for Housewives-recycled and repurposed art

Idle Hands, NOT

It's getting cold, time for my virtual fireplace.
Okay so meds have made fine drawing difficult but my hands can't stay idle too long. I've been busy baking cranberry scones, and my hands don't tremble too much to use a sewing machine. I'm making cushion covers with this cool retro fabric called "feeling groovy" from J&O fabrics
(boy these guys shipped fast)


Off to the movies later to see
"The Men Who Stare at Goats".

Have a GREAT weekend everyone

Grrrrrrrrrrrrrr!!!!!

whaaaaaaaaaa! no fair. the meds make me feel better but my hands shake so much I can't draw let alone do fine embroidery, so I feel like my muttering evil words, arggggggggg!!!!

Sketchbook Doodles

Bronchitis & Asthma cling to me like leeches
each sucking the energy out of me
but
I am thankful for medication
even if it does make me
twitch

Wordless Wednesday: Robin

Missouri Botanical Gardens