observing the modern textile artist through
to-and-fro: dōblĕ vā at it again
Emma Pipes to-and-fro: dōblĕ vā at it again is an exhibition at the Masonville Public Library in the Sifton Room. The exhibition itself features handwork by René Vandenbrink and her friend Jacqueline Venus. Jacqueline is a local artist who embroiders in a delicate style over thoughtfully picked fabric. She draws inspiration from surroundings we are familiar with. René is a former student of UWO and was the print technician last year in the Visual Arts department. René and Jacqueline are members of the Canadian Embroiders Guild in London. A rebirth of textile art emerges as these women continue to work in this traditional craft and share their passion with us. I had the opportunity to have a conversation with René about textiles. Handiwork has been significant to René since she was about 10 years old. Whether it was the simple stitching, the long work process, or RENE VANDENBRINK, DETAIL OF FISSION, 2011 the final results, it has always been important for her to “push the limits of the materials”. She places importance on the process of stitching by hand and feels that there is a need for the preservation of textiles and the handmade. She believes there IS a resurgence of textiles in today’s art world. There is a rich history behind hand-crafted material – its origins, functions, and creativity. Processes such as sewing, quilting, and embroidery have been kept alive over many years and are significant reminders of the past and what we used to know. Could it be that there really is significance in physical tokens and scraps – that such things may inspire us? A simple pattern or a stain on a fabric can represent a moment in our lives; like a trigger it can release a wave of memories that are precious and mysterious to us. In this way, it is understandable that René incorporated fabric from her old studio into her current work. Belongings from a larger space had to be given up as she moved into a smaller studio in her home, however it seemed right for the scraps and materials to be used because they represented so much of what happened in the old studio; that feeling made itself present. This exhibition gave René the opportunity to capture her feelings of moving from one place to another, or as the title puts it: to and fro.
issue no.1 / november
2011
11