SAQA Global Exhibition: Microscape (2)

Here are more quilts from a special exhibit by members of Studio Art Quilt Associates at the 2022 International Quilt Festival. The participating artists were encouraged to explore a corner of the world at high magnification, capturing tiny wonders at the microscopic level. We hope you enjoy our photos!*

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Brain Cells, 35 x 43.5", by Karol Kusmaul (Florida)

"Brain Cells is a whimsical and imaginative view of what part of my brain might look like under a microscope," explains Karol Kusmaul. "There are probably paisley-patterned creatures sloshing around in there. Perhaps there are segmented sections of information, seeking a place to grab hold and settle in. There are certainly sparks of illuminated light in my brain, as well as dark and crowded corners. Strands of small, button-like cells may be trying to hold memories together in some of my brain spaces. And straight-edged, sharp-cornered structures surely and stubbornly exist, although they may be pink with polka dots."

Materials include cotton, painted nonwoven fabric, dryer sheets, and buttons. Techniques: Raw-edge collage, hand and machine appliqué, and hand and machine quilting.

Cotton's Secret, 42"x 34.5", by Deborah Haviland (Maryland)

"It is easy to find beauty in the plants around us", says Deborah Haviland. "Sometimes we forget they contain complicated networks for transporting water and nutrients throughout their parts. Hidden inside the stem of the cotton plant, depicted here in fabrics derived from its harvest, are the beautiful structures that carry on the work necessary for life. At first glance we notice the organic, circular bodies in the tissues, but on closer inspection we see geometric forms, including the hexagon, a familiar patchwork motif. These structures exist in other plants, of course, but knowing these shapes are present naturally, inside the plant we rely on so heavily in the quilting arts, is a delightful secret to carry with us."

 

Cotton's Secret was based on Claudio Divizia’s image of a cotton stem under 400x magnification. Materials included cotton and fabric paint. Techniques: Machine pieced, raw-edge and reverse raw-edge appliquéd, machine and hand quilted, hand embroidered, and trapunto quilted.

Xylem Plant Cell, 36 x 24", by Bob Mosier (Texas)

Bob Mosier says, "With permission from Dr. David Furness, I chose to interpret in thread a colored scanning electron micrograph image taken by him. The depth and the values were a challenge I could not resist. I used more than one color of thread, blending the two colors together in each section. I put the next lightest value on top throughout the value range, allowing me to create a seamless transition for the eye to follow. My interest in color theory and visual perception were piqued when I saw the SEM image. Of course, I didn’t realize that recreating it would take three months, almost 200 hours, and 10 miles of thread to complete." Made with cotton interfacing.

Molecular Energy, 35.5 x 25", by Marian Zielinski (Georgia)

Molecular Energy thematically focuses on the kinetic and constant energy present in the battle between elements and the dance of cellular replication—and even the act of creation itself.The underlying images for this piece were created using an acrylic pouring technique that takes advantage of different pigment densities to create cells and cell structures, which are both the subject and the medium for this work.

Made with cotton, acrylic paint, Floetrol, acrylic mediums, and digital photos. Techniques include acrylic pour painting, digitally composition, piecing, appliqué, and free motion quilting.

Channeling Ernst Haeckel 3, 43 x 43", by Sandy Gregg (Massachusetts)

"Channeling Ernst Haeckel 3" is a piece from Sandy Gregg's series based on the botanical drawings of Ernst Haeckel.  Made with silk, polyester, and cotton.  The materials were cut, fused, and machine quilting.

Image credits: Photos were taken by Quilt Inspiration at the 2022 International Quilt Festival in Salt Lake City, Utah.