Friday, January 15, 2010

Bound

a limitation
a binding
rule bound
neatly bound
out of bounds
north bound
forward to the unknown, backward to memory
bound with a rope
secure

What are the boundaries of quilt making?
How do quilts bind me as an artist?

The tradition binds me - the old patterns, the layers
The stigma binds me - it's a domestic art
The labour binds me - each piece takes a year to make

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

"Bound" ahhhhh, such food for thought Judy - thank you : ) Bound reminds me of "stuck" not in a bad sense, just in a "you have to move on" sense. I've truly enjoyed your posts, all of them, very thought provoking, but this one "bound" really spoke to me today - so once again, thank you : )
Blessings, Sandra in AZ

Mnemosyne said...

i like this entry into your journal.
very nice.

Anonymous said...

The many layers of meaning in a single word is one of the reasons I love the English language so much. Really thought-provoking post.

Velma Bolyard said...

oh, fine work. and your writing/poem, also fine.

Jeana Marie said...

so evocative - there is a freedom in knowing your boundaries, no?

jude said...

holding

Judy Martin said...

Quilts carry baggage with them that also act as boundaries. They are metaphors of wome's caring, they are warmth, they hold time, they mark life passages, there are superstitions about them. I love all these things, but they do weigh me down. They may weigh my work down.

I'm thinking about these kinds of things a lot lately and hope that you'll all bear with me for a bit.

julochka said...

i've found you via a link on arteries, but i imagine you're part of the slow cloth FB group as well...these are very interesting thoughts and i wonder what you think about how/if the community around the FB group acts as a binding as well. i've been doing a lot of thinking about this, as the group has struck a (not altogether positive) chord with me and i'm not to the bottom of my own feelings about it. but am feeling quite bound by what i see as the constraints of ego evident in the group....you can feel free to have a conversation back via email. :-)