Shelley Rhodes - Fragmentation and Repair: for Mixed-Media and Textile Artists

for Mixed-Media and Textile Artists

Shelley Rhodes

Shelley Rhodes, Weekly Stitch Practice. 5 x 12cm (2 x 4in) each.

Shelley Rhodes, In Decline (detail).

Shelley Rhodes, Little By Little (detail).

Fragmentation lies at the heart of my work. This book explores how I fragment and deconstruct cloth, paper and objects, before repairing and reassembling to make a new whole. It shows how fragments of found objects can inspire new work, as well as becoming part of the finished piece perfect if you are a compulsive collector like me. Much of my work involves recycling materials while embracing the concept of wabi-sabi, the Japanese aesthetic that finds beauty in imperfection and impermanence. I am drawn to crumbling, stained, weathered surfaces and I show how natural processes can change the appearance and structure of materials, and how these can be replicated in a controlled way.

I refer to historical examples of Japanese boro and kantha, a technique that originated in Bangladesh and West Bengal, showing how tiny fragments of precious cotton were used to patch and repair worn out, distressed fabric to create a new layered, densely stitched cloth. I investigate ideas of repair and reconstruction, not only using stitch but introducing other materials and techniques too. I also demonstrate how previously completed work can be reworked.

I explore the power of multiples and how working in series can enhance the impact of individual pieces. I show how museum displays can be used to inspire content and presentation of work. Finally, I investigate the Japanese concept of mottainai, meaning to use every last scrap, as I demonstrate how tiny fragments can be used in collage and assemblage as well as becoming small works of art in their own right.

Shelley Rhodes, Stitched Grid. 12 x 46cm (4 x 18in).

Shelley Rhodes, Coral Semblance. 15 x 10cm (6 x 4in) each.

I share techniques of fragmentation and repair that I and other artists use in textile and mixed-media work. As always, I keep a record of my ideas, the progress made and notes regarding technique in workbooks, notebooks, sketchbooks or journals, and encourage you to do the same. (For further ideas about working in this way, refer to my first book, Sketchbook Explorations.) I have included examples of techniques that I use, with some suggestions that I hope you will try.

For centuries, piecing, patching and repairing cloth were a necessity for many different cultures. Ancient fragments of cloth up to 12,000 years old have been discovered in countries such as Egypt, China and Peru. In Europe, layers of quilted fabric, thought to have been used as part of a soldiers armour for warmth and protection, have been found dating back to the early Middle Ages. One of the earliest surviving complete patchworks is a coverlet dating from 1718.

Quilting is a method of stitching layers of material together usually two layers of fabric with padding or wadding in between. Quilts can be created using whole pieces of cloth but in this book my focus is on quilts that use piecing and patching for the top layer. Many pieced quilts are joined in regular, geometric patterns, or from patchwork blocks made using a paper template and stitched together in a grid format. However, pieced quilts can be bold and free-form, like the quilts of Gees Bend, Alabama. My work tends to be influenced by less formal methods of patching and piecing cloth, such as Japanese boro (see ).

Not all patchwork is quilted. Jogakbo is a style of Korean patchwork traditionally used to make wrapping cloths (known as bojagi). Geometric-shaped scraps are sewn together in an irregular, improvised way, using a special seaming technique to create a flat seam, which gives the cloth the appearance of a stained-glass window.

Patched and stitched cloth details.

Traditional kantha, made in East Bengal, c. 1885. Embroiderers Guild Collection.

The word kantha is derived from Sanskrit, denoting a rag or patched garment. They are double-sided embroideries created from worn-out saris and dhotis, made in the Bengal region of the Indian subcontinent. It is unclear when the making of kantha first began: the earliest mention in literature dates from 500 years ago, but the oldest surviving examples originate from the early nineteenth century. Recycling, repurposing and the stitching of layers of cloth together lie at the heart of traditional kantha making. Traditionally, white saris with coloured borders were worn, and when these became old and threadbare, the long pieces of fine cotton cloth were folded into three or four layers and held together with running stitch.

Some traditional kanthas are richly embroidered with scenes and domestic objects from everyday life. Others depict whimsical figures and quirky animals and birds, or have more abstract geometric shapes, or floral and leaf motifs. These motifs are drawn with running stitch, using a thread that contrasts in colour, and then filled in with decorative patterns. In old kanthas, the coloured threads were sometimes withdrawn from the border patterns woven on the edges of the saris. Other stitches besides running stitch were also used for the filling stitches, such as back stitch and stem stitch; the placement and density of the stitches affects the texture of the cloth, causing a rippling on the surface. Traditionally, kanthas were made by women and used for household items such as bed quilts and for swaddling babies, as the cloth was usually soft, warm and comforting.

Today, recycling and repurposing continues, using coloured and printed saris in which fragments are pieced and patched together in layers. Multiple rows of running stitch unify and hold the layers in place. There are many stitch co-operatives run on a commercial basis, some creating exciting contemporary twists on traditional techniques, and although the pieces they make are not traditional kanthas, they are still referred to as kantha.