Intersections: A Utah Surface Design Group Showcase (1)

Surface Design encompasses the coloring, patterning, and structuring of fiber and fabric. This involves processes such as dyeing, painting, printing, stitching, embellishing, quilting, weaving, knitting, felting, and papermaking. The Utah Surface Design Group is a group of artists who are dedicated to this genre. Here are some highlights of their 2024 exhibit — titled Intersections — at the Brigham City Museum.

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Crossed Squares (2023) by Roxanne Bartel. 

Crossed Squares is part of a series of quilts that explore the "intersection" of traditional quilting with abstract design. As Roxanne Bartel explains, "In this series, I am using four-patch traditional quilt blocks as a foundation paired with contemporary abstract design. My works are often color studies - here I am using the analogous colors red, orange, and yellow, with small accents of the complements (blue, purple)."

Roxanne creates her own palette of over-dyed fabrics through dying, bleaching, painting, and resist with cotton, silk, and re-purposed Japanese kimonos.

Girl in Tree (2022) by Rosanna Lynne Welter.

This evocative piece represents the intersection of time, memory, and childhood dreams. Rosanna Lynne Welter asks, "Those glorious, halcyon childhood days — was there magic in your life back then?  Special places you could go to dream your future?"   

Girl in Tree was created with whole cloth cotton, painted rayon, rayon thread, fabric inks, and beads.  The original artwork was sketched on whole cloth cotton, stitched, then painted with fabric inks.

The colorful autumn leaves were painted with fabric inks and hand cut, then attached with fusible and beading.

Becoming More Me (2021) by Judy Elsley.

The top left square of this quilt has the word "Becoming", and the bottom right square says "More Me".  Judy Elsley says, "The quilt documents my long, slow process of embracing and celebrating who I am, including my flaws and weaknesses. I see my job as a constant striving to become the best version of myself. It took me years to shift from the idea of perfection to this gentler and kinder approach as I make my way through the world."  

The quilt is composed of a harmonious selection of hand-dyed and printed fabrics.  It was machine quilted and beautifully embellished with beads, along with hand stitching with embroidery thread.

Bittersweet (2024) by Sheryl Gillilan 

Sheryl Gillilan says, "In the Buddhist tradition, the so-called "eight worldly winds" swirl around us all, buffeting our lives with an ever-changing cycle of positive and negative influences. There is no way to escape these bittersweet winds, or to know when they will intersect with our lives to foment chaos or engender bliss."  

The central portion of this quilt "represents my personal encounters with the winds, which have both gently wafted over me and unleashed ferocious storms." The chosen Scrabble words give a fascinating portrait of the personal identity, values, and conflicts that have influenced Sheryl's life and work.

Sheryl says, "As in the game of Scrabble, my life is an ongoing practice of using the letters and words that have blown my way to piece together a life that... ultimately anchors me in this world." 

Sheryl used commercial and hand-dyed fabrics, with stamped ink letter printing.  This piece was machine pieced and quilted.

Image credits: Photos were taken by Quilt Inspiration at the Brigham City Museum (Brigham City, Utah).