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C8: Fatigue
24.25 in
x
59.5 in
x
0.25 in
(62 cm x 151 cm x 1 cm)
Photo Credit
Andrew Gillis, Cascadilla Photography
Price
$0.00
Undergoing successive rounds of chemotherapy to fight my appendix cancer saps my energy levels in addition to other side effects. The lassitude that builds limits my activities, interferes with work, and even silences my voice so I created C8: Fatigue to express my voice in a visual way. The energetic quilting relaxes to a slow undulating wave and the intense colours of the background and brush strokes fade as the orange chemo infusions intensify. Culminating in the final brush stroke that represents a subtraction of self in palest grey as body and mind are pushed beyond their limits.
I'm a molecular biologist and tend to be a reductionist. I am now trying to work larger, to create the more impactful pieces for exhibition. And I tried a more painterly approach to this quilt. I'm representing the chemo patient and their energy level as brush strokes, the infusion of the chemotherapy drugs that are poisonous to both cancerous and healthy cells alike as jagged, lightning strikes of vivid orange. The reddish orange quilting stitches show the spread of the chemo throughout the body. The final brush stroke is one of my windows, where I face the top and batting to allow the viewer to see the back. I pieced the back to get that pale grey.
I enjoyed all the processes in making this quilt that speaks so much to my various rounds of chemo (I am currently starting the third month off a chemo cycle that lasted for 8 months and am feeling so much better! My fingers are no longer splitting so I can sew again! And I have hair again too....it's in the faux-hawk stage now!) Other chemo patients have come up to me and expressed how it has affected them which is the best feedback of all! Making an impactful art quilt has meant a great deal to me.
I had wanted to submit my latest cell quilt, but I submitted it to Quilt National and won't hear whether it was selected until after this deadline. This quilt is currently in Houston for IQF, but I will get it back after that exhibit so it would be available to tour if selected for this book.
I'm a molecular biologist and tend to be a reductionist. I am now trying to work larger, to create the more impactful pieces for exhibition. And I tried a more painterly approach to this quilt. I'm representing the chemo patient and their energy level as brush strokes, the infusion of the chemotherapy drugs that are poisonous to both cancerous and healthy cells alike as jagged, lightning strikes of vivid orange. The reddish orange quilting stitches show the spread of the chemo throughout the body. The final brush stroke is one of my windows, where I face the top and batting to allow the viewer to see the back. I pieced the back to get that pale grey.
I enjoyed all the processes in making this quilt that speaks so much to my various rounds of chemo (I am currently starting the third month off a chemo cycle that lasted for 8 months and am feeling so much better! My fingers are no longer splitting so I can sew again! And I have hair again too....it's in the faux-hawk stage now!) Other chemo patients have come up to me and expressed how it has affected them which is the best feedback of all! Making an impactful art quilt has meant a great deal to me.
I had wanted to submit my latest cell quilt, but I submitted it to Quilt National and won't hear whether it was selected until after this deadline. This quilt is currently in Houston for IQF, but I will get it back after that exhibit so it would be available to tour if selected for this book.
Materials
Hand-dyed fabric. Applique and reverse-Appliquilting. Used flannel for trapunto. Machine quilting. Pieced back to get right colour for final brush stroke.
Techniques
Hand-dyed fabric. Applique and reverse-Appliquilting. Used flannel for trapunto. Machine quilting. Pieced back to get right colour for final brush stroke.